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| FRIDAY | April 2 |
| Read Ellen G. White, “The Anointing of David,” pp. 637–642, in Patriarchs and Prophets. “David, in the beauty and vigor of his young manhood, was preparing to take a high position with the noblest of the earth. His talents, as precious gifts from God, were employed to extol the glory of the divine Giver. His opportunities of contemplation and meditation served to enrich him with that wisdom and piety that made him beloved of God and angels. As he contemplated the perfections of his Creator, clearer conceptions of God opened before his soul. Obscure themes were illuminated, difficulties were made plain, perplexities were harmonized, and each ray of new light called forth fresh bursts of rapture, and sweeter anthems of devotion, to the glory of God and the Redeemer. The love that moved him, the sorrows that beset him, the triumphs that attended him, were all themes for his active thought; and as he beheld the love of God in all the providences of his life, his heart throbbed with more fervent adoration and gratitude, his voice rang out in a richer melody, his harp was swept with more exultant joy; and the shepherd boy proceeded from strength to strength, from knowledge to knowledge; for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 642. |
 In class, discuss your answer to the question of what it means to love God. How do we as fallen beings love God? What does that mean? How does love for God differ from love for other people or other things, whatever they are?  Why is praise to God so important to us? How does praise and worship draw us closer to God? How does praise and worship help us to better know and love God? Also, why is praise to God especially important during times of crises? After all, anyone can praise God in good times, right? What does it take to be able to praise Him during bad ones?  As we have been stressing all week, salvation is by faith alone. None of us is good enough to deserve salvation; more so, none of us ever could be made good enough to deserve it either. Salvation has to be a gift, a gift from a loving and benevolent God to a fallen race of beings who, at their core, are corrupted by sin and who in and of themselves have nothing to offer the Lord. And yet, at the same time, we have been called, over and over again in the Bible, to obey God. In others words, though we are not saved by works, works are a part of what it means to be saved and to have salvation. How do we understand the relationship between faith and works? How can we learn to praise God and reveal our love to Him through our works, while at the same time not getting caught in the trap of believing that these works save us? |
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Emergency Room Evangelism by FABIO DA SILVA I fell, landing hard on my shoulder. Searing pain shot through me when I tried to move. My friends helped me up and took me to the hospital emergency room. Gurneys lined the wall filled with patients far more seriously injured than I was. One man had been shot, another stabbed, and another was seriously ill. I walked around while waiting to be seen, praying silently for those lying around me. Then I saw I Samuel, a man I had met once. He was awaiting treatment too. I talked to him about Jesus and offered him Bible studies. He agreed to the studies, but nurses moved him before I could get his address. I was admitted to the hospital. As I lay in my bed, I prayed for those I had met in the emergency room. I realized that God was with me, even when I hadn't felt His presence. When I was released from the hospital, I went to the government office to apply for disability until I could work again. There I met Samuel and reminded him about the Bible studies. We decided to meet every afternoon to study together. When I arrived at Samuel's home the next day, his wife met us. She had invited another woman to the study, and this woman invited another friend who invited her mother. The mother became so excited about the Bible studies that she called some of her friends and asked me to start another study with them. When I arrived at this woman's house I found seven people ready to study the Bible. Within a few days 12 people were studying the Bible from one invitation. When the studies ended, all 12 asked to be baptized as the result of a chance meeting in the emergency room! We needed a place to meet and learned that the conference had purchased a house nearby to be used to plant a church. It already had been remodeled and even had a baptistry! The new believers with whom I had studied were the first ones to be baptized in this new church. And their passion for sharing Christ spread to family and friends. Today we have 30 baptized members and 10 visitors in an area of Belem, Brazil, that before this had been difficult to reach. This church may have begun as an "accident," but your purposeful mission offerings helped make it happen. Thank you for your support. FABIO DA SILVA is a builder in Belem, Brazil. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
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