In Difficult Times: Part 2

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FRIDAY

March 26

Further Study:  

“God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of the Scriptures. “ ‘And bring forth fruit.’ Those who, having heard the word, keep it, will bring forth fruit in obedience. The word of God, received into the soul, will be manifest in good works. Its results will be seen in a Christlike character and life. Christ said of Himself, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Ps. 40:8. ‘I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.’ John 5:30. And the Scripture says, ‘He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.’ 1 John 2:6.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 60.

Discussion Questions:

As a church, with a mission to spread the three angels’ messages to the world, we often struggle to find ways to make ourselves and our message relevant to the culture around us. What inherent dangers do we face when we do that? History shows that more often than not, the church through the centuries ends up getting converted to the ways of the world, as opposed to the world getting converted to the ways of the church. What about us, as Adventists? Do we fool ourselves in thinking that this isn’t happening to us, or that it can’t happen to us? Do we see evidence of this already happening? And, if so, what can we do?     In the twenty-first century, in your own culture, what are some of the greatest challenges to growing the fruit of the Spirit? What specific aspects of the culture must you unflinchingly fight against?     Why is the Cross so central to the whole question of the fruit of the Spirit and character development? What does the Cross offer us that’s indispensable in character development? After all, without the Cross, what would even be the purpose of bearing this fruit?      Why do our character development and good works bring glory to God? What’s that all about?

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		I N S I D E Story
		In Difficult Times:  Part 2 by RICHARD LASU We were trying to plant a church in Kajo Keji, southern Sudan, but Satan was angry. A few days after we started work, our landlord threw us out. Soldiers patrolled the streets, and it was dangerous to be out. But we didn't know where to go. We knelt and placed our lives in God's hands. Then we started walking. We reached a home behind a large fence. I knocked, and a security guard answered. The man knew we were pastors and told the owner, who invited us to sleep in his sitting room. The next morning this man told us he was a soldier and was being transferred to another area. He invited us to stay in his house and care for it for as long as we needed it. Nearby we found a big mango tree. We cleared the debris from under it and started holding worship services there. Two days later the woman who had befriended us found us and asked for Bible studies. One Sabbath we were worshiping with five other people when a soldier came saying he had a warrant to arrest our former landlord's wife. I asked the soldiers to wait until our worship was over, but he refused, saying he must take her immediately. Finally he agreed to allow us to pray with her before he took her away. Just as the soldier and the woman disappeared around a curve, a plane flew over and dropped bombs on the town center. The soldier fled the scene, and the woman returned to worship with us. Our prayer service turned into a praise service. Within a few months 30 people were worshiping with us, and 11 people were preparing for baptism. Other churches in the area weren't happy about our work and tried to break up our new congregation. But we fasted and prayed, and God worked on our behalf. The woman who had befriended us became a leader in the church. It isn't easy to plant a church among opposition. But God blessed our efforts. The war in southern Sudan has disrupted the lives of millions of people, but peace has come, and the people are returning to their villages. The church in Kajo Keji is growing again. Your mission offerings help advance the work in difficult places around the world. Thank you! RICHARD LASU pastors several church groups and works with Adventist World Radio in Arua, Uganda.
		Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email:   info@adventistmission.org  website:  www.adventistmission.org