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| FRIDAY | March 18 |
| “The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings—the handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time—that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works. If men would give less attention to the artificial, and would cultivate greater simplicity, they would come far nearer to answering the purpose of God in their creation.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 49, 50. “The constant contact with the mystery of life and the loveliness of nature, as well as the tenderness called forth in ministering to these beautiful objects of God's creation, tends to quicken the mind and refine and elevate the character.”—Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 143. |
How can we make sure that we don’t cross the line from being a lover of nature to a worshiper of it? How might that not always be an easy distinction to draw? However wonderful nature is, we always must remember that in the end it can’t save us. Only the God who created nature can. Why is it important to always keep that crucial truth in mind? 
What should we as Seventh-day Adventists have to say in regard to the whole question of the environment? What, if anything in our teaching, could be a helpful and needed component in this important question? At the same time, how should we respond to the following idea: “Well, we know the Lord is coming soon, and this whole world will be destroyed and then made over, so is the environment really that important?” 
In what ways today should all the incredible advancements in scientific and natural knowledge help increase our love of and appreciation for the power of God? Think of all the things we know about the natural world today that the ancients had no inkling of. Thus, in what ways do we have so many more advantages than they ever did in regard to be able to marvel at the creative power of the Lord? | I N S I D E Story | ||
| The Lighthouse in the Darkness by FRANCIS AHISSON The delegates from a Protestant church walked out of the Seventh-day Adventist mission office in Benin, West Africa, talking excitedly. They had come to ask the Adventist officials to teach them the Bible, and the mission president agreed to teach them. On the appointed day many came to hear the Adventist pastor teach them about God. Following the meetings, a congregation was established and a temporary chapel was built to house the worshipers until a more permanent building could be erected. The church's membership grew to some 60 people as the congregation struggled against the powers of Satan and voodoo worship, which dominates the people of this region. Most of the church members earn a living by fishing or doing unskilled labor, so they don't earn much money. They sac¬rifice to buy cement blocks for the day when they can build their church. One woman in the church became seriously ill, and local doctors couldn't help her. Her husband took her to a large city hospital where doctors said she had a tumor and needed surgery. But her husband didn't have the money for the surgery, so he took his wife home, fearful that she would die. He did the only thing he knew to do: he called the church leaders to pray for her. That night the woman awoke and saw an angel in her room. The angel touched her and said, "God has sent me to heal you." The woman awoke, wondering at her dream. Then she heard a voice tell her, "Stand up and walk." She hadn't been able to stand or walk for several weeks, but she stood and took several steps. The next day the doctor couldn't find the tumor. He called his colleagues to examine her, and they too could find nothing wrong with her. "Your tumor is gone," he said. The woman told him about the angel's visit. News spread through the village that the woman had been healed. The church members rejoiced with her. Her healing has increased the faith of many people in her church and throughout the town. Many people visited the church, wanting to see what kind of church is powerful enough to heal people. And the members gladly gave God the credit for this healing. Your mission offerings will help this little church in Benin shine the light of God across a country saturated with the darkness of voodoo and witchcraft. FRANCIS AHISSON is a lay evangelist working in southern Benin.. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
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