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| FRIDAY | April 15 |
| Read Ellen G. White, “The Creation,” “The Temptation and Fall,” and “The Plan of Redemption,” pp. 44–70, in Patriarchs and Prophets. “The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by God in holy Eden. . . . Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence. . . . Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul. . . . This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us.”—Ellen G. White, Maranatha, p. 78. “The Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a covering, the robe of his own righteousness, that he will put on every repenting, believing soul who by faith will receive it. . . . Then when the Lord looks upon the believing sinner, he sees, not the fig-leaves covering him, but his own robe of righteousness. . . .”—Ellen G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Nov. 15, 1898. |
 Read Genesis 3:6. What were the avenues to Eve’s soul that the devil was able to take advantage of in seeking to make her fall? How do these same things work for him today, as well?  Dwell more on the centrality of nakedness in the Eden narrative. What else can we take from this idea that could help us understand what was going on there?  Read the two Ellen G. White quotes in Friday’s study. How is the wonderful truth of the gospel revealed in those words?  Look at Hebrews 5:14: “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Dwell more on the whole question of evil. What do we mean by the term “evil”? Is it something that is always absolute and unchanging? Or is evil a relative term, in that what some cultures deem evil other cultures might deem good, or that what was once deemed evil in one culture now no longer is? How much does culture itself influence our concept of what is and isn’t evil? How can we step beyond our culture and know for sure what is good and what is evil? How are we to understand Isaiah 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” |
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Seeing the Light by FAUSTINO MENDEZ Life for my family was hard. I sold bread on the streets of Veracruz, Mexico. But I used a good portion of my income to buy cigarettes and alcohol. Then one day a blind man stopped to buy some bread. Orestes was friendly and invited me to his house for a drink of water. After that he often stopped to talk to me. Orestes loved to talk about God, and when he invited me to study the Bible, I agreed. My wife and I belonged to another church, and she didn't understand why I wanted to study the Bible with someone from another faith. But I told her I needed to know more about God, so she agreed to study with me. My sister joined us for the Bible study, and we often talked about how our new knowledge of God was influencing our faith. But we hesitated to make a decision to change churches. Then, suddenly, my sister died in an automobile accident. My wife and I realized how unsure the future is and that we mustn't delay in acting on what we knew was the truth. So, when the man teaching us the Bible invited us to church, we went. The people of the church were friendly and kind; we felt welcome. Saturday had been my busiest day selling bread. I didn't think we could survive unless I worked on Saturday. But when I tried to sell bread on Saturday, God didn't bless my business. I realized that I was losing God's blessing by not obeying Him in this matter. I stopped selling bread and found work that wouldn't require me to work on Sabbath. I realized that smoking and drinking were wrong, and I stopped buying cigarettes and alcohol. The money we save more than pays for our tithes and offerings. I'm convinced that we're where God wants us to be. I invite others to church, and we have started a small group that meets in our house. Our church is growing, and I pray that one day soon we'll have a church building in which to worship and invite our friends. I want to bring my large family—my ten brothers and sisters, their children, and many other relatives—to God. I want them to know that His truth is for today, for us. Your mission offerings helped support the work in our country, so a blind man could show us the light of God's love. And a recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is helping to build a church in our city so others can come to Christ, as well. Thank you! FAUSTINO MENDEZ shares his faith in Veracruz, Mexico.. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
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