Here's Pastor Doug Batchelor from http://www.amazingfacts.com
CLICK ON THE LINK THAT FOLLOWS FOR A VIDEO OF THE SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON PRESENTED BY DR DEREK MORRIS OF THE LAKE FOREST CHURCH
http://media.forestlakechurch.org/content/media/2010q204-03-praise-god-whom-all-blessings-flowPraise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!”(Ps.103:1, NKJV).
What Is in the Heart of Love?
Ralna M. Simmonds, Mandeville, Jamaica
Sabbath Introduction
1 John 4:10
“He doesn’t love us ’cause of who we are, He only loves us ’cause of who He is.” My radio was tuned to the campus station at Northern Caribbean University. I liked the funky yet somber tune, but the words were what really got to me. So I went to the station to ask about the song and the group performing it. They were the Newsboys—a band of four young adults who were nontraditional in their ap- proach, but who were obviously aware of what grace is all about: God loving us, not because of who we are, but really and thankfully, because of who He is.
None of us can make God love us more or less.
Because of who He is? What do we make of that? First John 4:10 says, “This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins” (NCV). So basically, upon realizing what has been done to save us, we can praise God because He sent His Son to take away our sins!
Kay D. rizzo shares the secret to moving beyond a religious facade—the legalistic works that we hope God and others will see as evidence of our good- ness, but that, in reality, leave us empty and exhausted. She writes, “Praise puts our lives into a proper perspective with God. Our unworthiness glares at us in flashing neon lights when we measure our goodness up to God’s.”*
Like children, we often try to win God’s favor with sweet smiles and even sweeter deals; but the truth is, none of us can make God love us more or less be- cause His love is unconditional. Praising Him, however, calls us to look outside of ourselves and the messes we’ve created to the bigger picture He wants us to see. The Hebrew word yadah means “to shout jubilation,” while the word hallel means “to boast, celebrate, sing, glorify.” When rizzo started living out these words in her life, her life turned around.
What do you want to praise God for? Do you think that because your life might be a mess you have no reason to praise Him? I invite you to begin a regi- men of praise today. Start by asking God to show you the bigger picture so that you will see the real message behind every mess and be able to praise Him from whom all blessings flow! As you do, notice how much better you’ll feel—how your mental, spiritual, and physical health will improve!
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*Kay D. rizzo, On Wings of Praise (Hagerstown, Md.: review and Herald® 1996), p. 46.
Heart, Mind, and Actions
Venice Brooks, Jamaica, West Indies
Sunday Logos
Matt. 22:37, 38; Rom. 12:1; Eph. 2:8, 9; 5:2; Col. 3:12, 13;
2 Tim. 1:8, 9; 1 John 4:10
When people are involved in sin, their hearts are set on impure things. Today we will study how the heart and mind affect the actions. Matthew 22:37, 38, talks about how we should love God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls. The other texts for today teach us that we show love to each other by our ac- tions toward them. Interestingly, the heart affects the mind, which, in turn, affects the actions. Let us now look at each one of this important trio.
“Take me away with you—let us hurry!”
The Heart Loves and Feels Excitement
The heart longs, yearns, and lusts. The heart of a person in bondage to Satan loves to sin and feels excitement while sinning. Such a heart yearns after sin and is a slave to its cravings. The heart that is in sin will do anything to satisfy those cravings. This, in itself, is a form of idolatry, for our hearts should yearn for the Lord alone.
In contrast, the heart of one who is set free in Christ loves God and feels ex- citement over growing in righteousness. That heart earnestly desires to develop within itself holiness and purity. Colossians 3:1 instructs us to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (NKJV). In other words, we are to set our hearts on loving Christ. Involve your heart with Him. Become excited about Him, long to be with Him. yearn for intimacy with Him, and fight for a closer walk with Him. Let the cry of the beloved be yours: “Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers” (Song of Solomon 1:4, NIV).
The heart that is ravished by Christ refuses to let Him go. Such a heart em- braces Him and clings to Him. Let this be your goal!
“The Mind” Refers to Our Thoughts
The mind that is in sin continually thinks sinful thoughts. Sinful thoughts and images can interrupt our work, study time, family time, and all other areas of life. Let us always remember that the mind is a battlefield on which decisions are made, and that once we make a decision, our hearts usually follow.
Colossians 3:2 states, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (NIV). We are to think heavenly thoughts, thoughts about Christ and God, thoughts about eternity and heaven. We are to discern whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. In other words, we are to think about Christ (Phil. 4:8). The reason we are urged to do this is found in Colossians 3:3: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (NIV). On the cross, Jesus died for us, but we also died in Him. Our old sinful natures hung on that tree with Christ. Perhaps I can say that my old heart that loved sin died 2,000 years ago. My mind that was consumed with sinful images was killed at the hands of roman soldiers, and then my old sinful self was buried in a tomb.
What We Do Is Tied to What We Love and Think About
It is impossible to change our behavior unless we first change our heart. Being a Christian is about loving God passionately and having our thoughts consumed by Christ. We are not only to profess His love, we are to show His love to others by being kind and loving.
Furthermore, if we decide in our hearts to glorify God, then we are working in concert with Him, and He will enable us to do that which is good. This will ensure our success, because God Himself will come to our aid so that He will be glorified. Indeed, He is glorified in the daily choices we make to turn away from gratifying our flesh and to set our minds on Him. What motivates us as Christians is to honor the Lord in everything, including our freedom from impurity.
So today we have seen how heart, mind, and actions are tied together and that we are to love God by setting our hearts and minds on things above so that we can die to sinful actions and learn to love one another. This is a sum- mary of the Christian’s life: We are to set our hearts toward loving God, and our thoughts are to dwell on Christ. Then, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are able to live worthy of the sacrifice made on the cross.
Praise God! For we are given the strength to do all of the above through His Son, Jesus Christ!
REACT
1. read Exodus 20:4, 5. How does this commandment relate to today’s les- son?
2. Why must the heart, mind, and behavior work together in order for us to gain spiritual freedom?
3. Matthew 22:39 teaches us that we must love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Why is it impossible to love others if we do not love ourselves? How do we love ourselves in a Christian sense rather than a worldly sense?
4. What do the following texts teach us about the importance of how we regard others: Isaiah 58; Matthew 25:31–46?
“Love With Everything You’ve Got”
Kamala Glenn-Taylor, Sunrise, Florida, U.S.A.
Monday Testimony
Matt. 22:37, 38
“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was orga- nized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the begin- ning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.”1
“This love is . . . as broad as the world.”
“Those who would be worshipers of the true God must sacrifice every idol. Jesus said to the lawyer, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ Matthew 22:37, 38. The first four precepts of the Decalogue allow no separation of affections from God. Nor must anything share our supreme delight in Him. We cannot advance in Christian experience until we put away everything that separates us from God.”2
“Those who love God cannot harbor hatred or envy. When the heavenly prin- ciple of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others. . . . This love is not contracted so as merely to include ‘me and mine,’ but is as broad as the world and as high as heaven, and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. This love cher- ished in the soul sweetens the entire life and sheds a refining influence on all around. Possessing it, we cannot but be happy, let fortune smile or frown.”3
REACT
1. Christian love is more of a principle than a feeling. So then if we neglect the emotional aspect of love from its physical and emotional worldly counterparts, how do we display love for God and for others?
2. If praise is the result of a relationship with God, how do we reconcile our neg- ative emotions with Jesus’ plea to love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds? Can we truly praise God if we are unhappy, judgmental, and resentful? Explain your answer.
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1. The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9. 2. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 329. 3. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 223, 224.
The Heart of the Psalmist/Psalms— the Universal Language
Teka-Ann Haynes, Mentone, California, U.S.A.
Tuesday Evidence
Ps. 103:1
If nothing else, David knew how to praise God. However, we cannot even begin to understand the depth and actual expressions of his praise until we understand a bit about who he was—a man whose experiences with God were such that they made him a psalmist.
David’s psalms of praise are our universal language.
There abided in David a deep affection for God, which he expressed through his worship. This shepherd-boy-turned-king lived a life of trust and trouble, reconciliation and relief. Much of his work in the book of Psalms portrays him as either confessing with a contrite heart or praising with a purposeful spirit. If David understood nothing else about God, he understood His mighty power. David’s use of strong, encompassing words such as all, when he says, “Bless the Lord . . . and all that is within me,” shows not only the magnitude of his affec- tion, but also his understanding of God’s greatness. He believes it will take all that is within him to bless the name of God.
What really fascinates me, however, is the fact that the psalms of David are ap- plicable to all humanity. David wrote poems and songs that are universal. For cen- turies, the Jews and the Christian Gentiles used psalms for private prayer and public devotion, while the Hebrews used David’s psalms for their formal liturgy. Psalm 103 was used on special occasions in the temple for atonement. Jesus quoted from the books of Psalms and Isaiah more than any other books in the Old Testament.
The contemporary use of psalms is similar. His psalms are used for public and private devotions, they are printed in church hymnals, and they are relevant to all Christians, irrespective of age, experience, race, educational background, or religious affiliation. David’s psalms of praise are our universal language—our all. “The psalms of David pass through the whole range of experience, from the depths of conscious guilt and self-condemnation to the loftiest faith and the most exalted communing with God.”* Truly, David’s psalms of praise can help to heal our hearts and point us toward home.
REACT
1. read all of Psalm 103. Then go back to verse 2, where we are urged to remember all of God’s benefits. What does David say those benefits are?
2. How might writing your own psalms of praise set your feet upon the path
of both spiritual and physical wellness?
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*Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 754.
A Living Sacrifice
Deia and Nathan Williams, Beaumont, California, U.S.A.
Wednesday How-to
Rom. 12:1; Col. 3:12, 13
Our bodies were created by our heavenly Father who took much delight in creat- ing us. Once sin entered this world, maintaining the health of our bodies became problematic. Many people wonder why sickness exists. It exists because of the pres- ence of sin, and it will continue to exist until God returns to take us home.
“Nothing tends more to promote health . . . than does . . . praise.”
Sickness occurs in many ways. There are irritating influenzas and colds, nag- ging aches and pains. Cancer, autism, bipolar disorders. The list of serious diseases that threaten minds and bodies the world over is endless and continues to grow to the point where it seems ridiculous that Paul should council us to “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (rom. 12:1, NrSV). yet our efforts to maintain the healthiest body and mind possible do not go unnoticed by our Creator. In fact, He has even given us guidance regarding how best to do so. Following are a few steps we can take to follow some of His directives regarding our health:
Eat a balanced diet. Such a diet includes a combination of carbohydrates, healthy fats, protein, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. One easy tip to re- member is to eat foods that are the color of the rainbow. Sometimes it is wise to keep a journal of the foods you eat each day. This is an easy way to notice what good foods are missing from your diet.
Make time for exercise. Combining aerobic and anaerobic routines will keep your heart strong as well as improve your lean body mass. Once again, keeping a journal of your daily/weekly physical activities will help you to see where you need to improve.
Drink fresh water. Eight glasses of water is the most often recommended amount. remember that caffeine depletes the body of water and that sodas do not count as part of the eight glasses.
Read the Bible, pray, and praise God. Communicating daily with our Creator is vital to maintaining spiritual well-being. “Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise. It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings—as much a duty as it is
to pray.”* Consider keeping a prayer and praise journal.
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*The Ministry of Healing, p. 251.
Living the Praise
Marcia Na’Tricia Smith, Nassau, Bahamas
Thursday Opinion
1 Pet. 2:9
Being thankful describes our attitude toward God for what He has done, while praise is offered for who God is. Psalm 18:3 says, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised” (NKJV). We were created to praise God. Matthew 22:37 tells us to love God with all our hearts, souls, and strength. Praise is expressed through actions and love for Him.
Stormie Omartian said that praise is the prayer that changes everything. She further stated that praise and worship is the purest form of prayer, because it fo- cuses our minds and souls entirely away from ourselves and on God. It commu- nicates pure love, devotion, reverence, appreciation, and thankfulness to God. It is exalting God for who He is, and communicating our longing for Him.*
Live the praise!
At many points in our Christian walk, we will find ourselves dealing with trials. Being a Christian does not grant us immunity from these experiences. However, being able to praise God through them helps us to be victorious. In 2 Chronicles 20, we find the story of how King Jehoshaphat praised God when he heard that his enemies were rising up to destroy him and Israel. Take time now to read this marvelous chapter.
What a great example King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites are for us. Their words and acts of praise in the face of war teach us that the battle against sin is really God’s, that we do not need to be afraid or dismayed. How wonderful to be able to fight, not with weapons of destruction, but with songs and instru- ments of praise. We are assured through God’s Word that He is with us and that blessings will appear when we lift our praises to Him.
I am moved at God’s marvelous wonders. There are times when words fail to express my gratitude to a God who made heaven and earth; but through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can lift my hands and heart to praise Him.
He has given us more blessings than we deserve. As Ephesians 2:8, 9 tells us, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from your- selves, it is the gift of God” (NIV). Let us therefore live the praise and see the difference in our personal lives.
REACT
How can you be thankful when you are feeling either physical or mental pain?
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*Stormie Omartian, The Prayer That Changes Everything (Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House Publishers, 2004).
Mind Conditioning = Healthy Spiritual Living
Jean Kellner, Columbia, Maryland, U.S.A.
Friday Exploration
Rom. 12:1, 2
CONCLUDE
In romans 12:1, Paul pleads with us to dedicate our bodies to God because of His great mercy toward us. He says that this is a sacrifice He will accept, and that it is a good way to worship Him. Then in verse 2, He tells us not to imitate the behavior and customs of the world, but to let God transform us into new persons by changing the way we think. Clearly then, if we are to worship God in our hearts and with our actions, we need to pay as much attention to the condition- ing of our minds—on God’s Word—as we do on paying attention to nurturing our bodies. We won’t be transformed without a renewing of the mind!
CONSIDER
• readingPsalm103.DavidwascalledamanafterGod’sownheart.Noticehowin Psalms he is constantly meditating upon God’s Word and praising Him. List all attitudes, actions, and attributes that David credits to God on behalf of His peo- ple. Make your own list of the ways God has manifested His grace in your life.
• WritingyourownpsalmorsongofprayerandpraisetoGod.Todothis,usethe list you developed in the above task. Or paraphrase one of your favorite psalms. • Expressing your love and gratitude to God by doing “secret” random acts of
kindness throughout the week to people who seem to need their spirits lifted. For example, leave a flower or piece of candy on the desk of a fellow student or coworker; leave a bag of groceries at the door of a neighbor, or someone you know to be in need; volunteer at a community shelter, or slip some money in an envelope and send it to someone in need without identifying yourself.
• Makingaprayerlistthatincludesneighbors,friends,familymembers,and church members you don’t usually pray for. Keep them at the top of your prayer list (ahead of your own personal petitions) for a month. Watch how God works in their lives.
• StudyingGod’sWordwiththeideaofusingthattimeasmentalcondition- ing for the spiritual battles you face daily. Let your study be mental exercise or “boot camp” for conditioning your spiritual walk.
• Witnessing to others about the love and power of Christ in you as your means of worthiness. Let His love and sacrifice be your confidence in claiming His promises.
CONNECT
Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind.
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