THIS VIDEO CAN BE SHOWN AT YOUR CHURCHES AS IT IS MORE THAN RELEVANT TO THE LESSONS. BE PATIENT AND WAIT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND ALL THE CONNECTIONS IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE POWER AND THE ATTENTION OF GOD, APART FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY IMAGES.
Click on the video at the bottom right for a totally enlarged screen, and connect the sound to powerful headphones and/or quality speakers. Find a Good Time, Be Amazed and Enjoy the Inspiration...PLEASE SHOW THIS VIDEO AT YOUR CHURCHES ON SABBATH AFTERNOON, BELIEVE ME IT WILL BE A HIT. SURELY IT WILL HAVE A BLESSED EFFECT ON THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE CHURCH. MAY GOD BLESS YOU EVEN MORE AND KEEP YOU IN A FRUITFUL FAITH IN HIM.
Click on the following links and open another tab for these playlists. Listen to sacred music while studying the lesson.
Heritage Singers sing to give glory to God in order to comfort you and strengthen your faith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgnbF8BcALg&list=PLA6FC3F51B3D3592A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13U7QmSfmcI&list=PL5362507232EC2F63
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8IRymyYVo&list=PL0B2EC328B1EBB04F
Wintley Phipps sings and gives glory to God in order to exhort you and encourage you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HffdyLd0c&list=PL1F72C26656C325A9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMF_24cQqT0&list=PLF6E0F80C111634BB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVlAPL901Gk&list=PLA7473A1301242907
You may search for outlines of Revelation 2 and 3 on www.google.com
The following outlines were taken from http://executableoutlines.com/rev/rev_02.htm
OUTLINE of Revelation 2
I. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS (1-7)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (1)
1. "He who holds the seven stars in His right hand"
2. "Who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands"
B. COMMENDATION (2-3,6)
1. For their works, labor and patience
a. They cannot bear those who are evil, having tested those who
say they are apostles but were liars
b. Their perseverance, patience and labor for His name's sake,
not growing weary
2. They hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as does the Lord
C. CONDEMNATION AND WARNING (4-5)
1. Condemnation
a. The Lord has something against them
b. They have left their first love
2. Warning
a. Remember from where they have fallen
b. Repent and do the first works
c. Or the Lord will come quickly and remove their lampstand from
its place
D. EXHORTATION AND PROMISE (7)
1. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
2. To him who overcomes, He will give to eat from the tree of life
in the midst of the Paradise of God
II. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA (8-11)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (8)
1. "The First and the Last"
2. "Who was dead, and came to life"
B. COMMENDATION (9a)
1. For the works, tribulation, and poverty
2. But they are rich
C. EXHORTATION AND PROMISE (9b-11)
1. The Lord knows those who claim to be Jews but are a synagogue of
Satan
2. Do not fear what they are about to suffer
a. The devil is about throw some into prison, that they may be
tested
b. They will have tribulation ten days
3. Be faithful unto death, and He will give them a crown of life
4. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
5. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death
III. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS (12-17)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (12)
1. "Who has the sharp two-edged sword"
B. COMMENDATION (13)
1. He knows their works, and where they dwell, where Satan's throne
is
2. For holding fast to His name
3. For not denying His faith even when Antipas was killed among
them
C. CONDEMNATION AND WARNING (14-16)
1. Condemnation
a. They have those who hold the doctrine of Balaam
1) Who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before Israel
2) To eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual
immorality
b. They have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which He hates
2. Warning
a. Repent or He will come to them quickly
b. He will fight against them with the sword of His mouth
D. EXHORTATION AND PROMISE (17)
1. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
2. To him who overcomes, He will give...
a. Some of the hidden manna to eat
b. A white stone with a new name written on it which no one
knows except he who receives it
IV. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA (18-29)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (18)
1. "The Son of God"
2. "Who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine
brass"
B. COMMENDATION (19)
1. For their works, love, service, faith, and patience
2. Their last works are more than the first
C. CONDEMNATION AND WARNING (20-24)
1. Condemnation
a. They allow that woman Jezebel
1) Who calls herself a prophetess
2) To teach and beguile His servants to commit sexual
immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols
b. Whom the Lord had given time to repent of her sexual
immorality, but she did not
2. Warning
a. He will cast her into a sickbed
b. Those who commit adultery with her will have great
tribulation, unless they repent
c. He will kill her children with death; and the churches will
know that He searches the minds and hearts
d. He will give to each one according to their works
e. For those in Thyatira who do not follow her doctrine, or
have not known the depths of Satan, as they call it, He
places on them no other burden
E. EXHORTATION AND PROMISE (25-29)
1. Hold fast what they have till He come
2. To him who overcomes and keeps His works until the end...
a. He will give power over the nations, just as He received from
the Father
b. He will give the morning star
3. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
OUTLINE of Revelation 3
I. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS (1-6)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (1a)
1. "He who has the seven Spirits of God" - cf. Isa 11:1-2; Zech 4:1-10; Re 1:4; 4:5
2. "...and the seven stars"
B. CONDEMNATION AND WARNING (1b-3)
1. Condemnation
a. They have a name that they are alive, but they are dead
b. Their works have not been found perfect before God
2. Warning
a. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain and are
ready to die
b. Remember how they had received and heard
c. Hold fast and repent
d. If they don't watch, the Lord will come upon them as a thief
C. COMMENDATION (4)
1. There are few names in Sardis who have not defiled their
garments
2. They shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy
D. PROMISE AND EXHORTATION (5-6)
1. He who overcomes...
a. Shall be clothed in white garments
b. The Lord will not blot his name from the Book of Life
c. The Lord will confess his name before My Father and His
angels
2. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
II. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA (7-13)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (7)
1. "He who is holy, He who is True"
2. "He who has key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and
shuts and no one opens" - cf. Isa 22:22
B. COMMENDATION (8)
1. The Lord has set an open door before them and none can shut it
2. For they have a little strength, have kept His word, and not
denied His name
C. PROMISE AND EXHORTATION (9b-11)
1. Concerning the "synagogue of Satan" (who claim to be Jews, but
are not)...
a. He will make them come and worship before their feet
b. He will make them know that He has loved those in
Philadelphia
2. Because the church has kept His command to persevere...
a. He will keep them from the hour of trial
b. Which is coming to test those who dwell on the earth
3. Behold, He is coming quickly!
a. Hold fast what they have
b. That no one may take their crown
4. He who overcomes, the Lord will...
a. Make him a pillar in the temple of His God, and he shall go
out no more
b. Write on him:
1) The name of His God
2) The name of the city of His God, the New Jerusalem which
comes down out of heaven from His God
3) His new name
5. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
III. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA (14-22)
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (14)
1. "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness"
2. "The Beginning of the creation of God"
B. CONDEMNATION AND WARNING (15-20)
1. Condemnation
a. They are neither cold or hot
1) He wished they were cold or hot
2) But because they are lukewarm, He will spew them out of
His mouth
b. They are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked
1) Though they say they are rich, wealthy, and in need of
nothing
2) Therefore He counsels them...
a) To buy from Him:
1/ Gold refined in the fire, that they may be rich
2/ White garments, that their nakedness be not revealed
b) To anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they might
see
2. Warning
a. As many as He loves, He rebukes and chastens; therefore be
zealous and repent
b. He stands at the door and knocks; if any will hear Him and
open the door, He will come in and dine with him
C. PROMISE AND EXHORTATION (21-22)
1. To him who overcomes...
a. The Lord will grant to sit with Him on His throne
b. Just as He overcame and sat down with His Father on His
throne
2. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches
www.ssnet.org
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13c/helps/lesshp01.html
Lesson& References Index
Lesson 1 – June 29-July 5
Revival: Our Great Need
(All Bible texts are in the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated)Sabbath Afternoon
Memory text: Revelation 3:20
20 “ ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me’ ”In Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Laodicea is the last church in Revelation’s sequence of seven churches. The name means, “a people judged.” It is also a fitting symbol for God’s last-day people.
Laodicea was located in an open valley in southwestern Turkey. It was an important financial capital, a fashion mecca, and an educational and medical center. Its inhabitants were independent, self-confident, and rich.
The one vital natural resource that the city lacked, however, was water. The water was piped in via Roman aqueducts from a spring five miles south of the city. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Jesus used that symbolism to represent the lukewarm condition of His last-day church, described as self-confident, complacent, apathetic, and spiritually indifferent. It is a church that has lost its passion. It is a church that needs a spiritual revival.
Nevertheless, the Laodicean message is filled with hope. Christ speaks to His people in love, offering to meet their heart needs and revive their deepest spiritual longings
From www.cqbiblestudy.org
Introduction Freezing Cold / Scorching Hot?
Rev. 3:20
Sabbath JUNE 29
Imagine living in a city where the air is clean and the open valley gives you an unimaginable view. Fame and prosperity reign, thanks to its three main exports: glossy black wool, black garments, and a medicinal Phrygian powder used for the eyes. Where are we? The ancient city of Laodicea, whose ruins now lie in Turkey.1However, Laodicea had a problem with its water supply, which came from a water tower filled by an aqueduct that contained warm mineral water.2 This lukewarm water describes the condition of the last-day church in Revelation 3. Are you freezing or scorching? Over-comfortable, apathetic, self-reliant, complacent, and spiritually indifferent? Where did “passionate,” “on fire for God,” and “can’t-hold-it-in” go? Yes! We are in need of a revival!
Revival isn’t just about discovering new truth.
The New Testament church prayed and was filled with the Holy Spirit with such power that it transformed the lives of thousands of people who also shared the message of their Savior. Where did this enthusiasm come from? It came from the reality of Jesus in their lives. Revival isn’t just about discovering new truth. It’s also about falling in love with Jesus and understanding that He can be a reality in our daily lives. When we become aware of that, our enthusiasm kicks in, and we share His love with joy!
“We need to see the Holy Spirit falling again upon the people of God and reviving the Body of Christ with supernatural power. This is humanity’s only hope.”3 Jesus wants to fulfill our heart’s longings and revive our spiritual yearning desires. He says that if we hear His voice and let Him in when He knocks, He will let us sit with Him on His throne (Rev. 3:20, 21)! “The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future; but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it.”4
1. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed., s.v. “Laodicea.”
2. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 7, p. 761.
3. Charles Clarke, Pioneers of Revival (Plainfield, N.J.: Logos International, 1971), p. 5.
4. Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895.
Sunday – Hope for Lukewarm Laodiceans
Read Revelation 2 and 3
Revelation 3:14-1514 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
2 Corinthians 1:20
20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.John 3:10-11
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.Colossians 1:13-17
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.Ephesians 3:8-9
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what isthe fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.Galatians 6:14-15
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whomthe world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.In Mark Finely, www.ecolesabbat.org
...In Revelation 3:14, the Greek word for “beginning” is arche. It can mean “beginning,” in the sense that the one to whom it refers is the beginner of the event or action. In this context, arche refers to Jesus as the Beginner, or the first cause of all creation. In other words, He is the Creator (John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:8-9).
This is extremely significant. Jesus, the One who spoke and worlds came into being, the One who created the earth, the One who spoke life into existence-this same Jesus speaks hope to Laodicea. The all-powerful Creator can create new life. He can recreate new spiritual longings in our hearts. He can transform our spiritual lives.
From www.cqbiblestudy.org
Logos Seeing Revival God’s Way
Matt. 25:1–13; 2 Cor. 1:20; Gal. 6:14, 15; Col. 1:13–17; 1 Pet. 1:6, 7; Rev. 3:14–20
Sunday JUNE 30
God’s Timing Is Always Perfect (Matt. 25:1–13)The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13 emphasizes “the importance of preparation for the coming of Christ, and stresses the importance of being ready.”1 The admonition to “ ‘keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour’ ” (Matt. 25:13, NIV) has been heard in many a sermon, and it is the lesson Christ wants us to take away from this parable.2 Historically, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has proclaimed and continues to wait for the great and glorious return of our Savior. The message inherent in Scripture is that God’s timing is always perfect. He always has had a people who are “ready” for the outpouring of His Spirit and who are willing to follow His instructions. As we reflect on the Bridegroom’s soon arrival, we must be on guard lest we find ourselves without the fire of Christ’s Spirit. Revival and reformation is at hand!
We stand at the threshold of revolutionary changes. We can choose to accept, deny, rationalize, or doubt the arrival of these changes.
Power From on High (Col. 1:13–17)
Scripture assures us continually that although we are fighting a great cosmic spiritual battle, we have not been left to fend for ourselves. God’s power thwarts all of Satan’s fiery darts. When He speaks, things happen. “In Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17, NIV). There is no limit to what God can do. There is no limit to how He chooses to guide and equip those who are willing to participate in the great revival call to His people, because in “him, everything is held together, protected, and prevented from disintegrating into chaos (see Acts 17:28). Because Christ is the Sustainer of all life, nothing in creation is independent from him. In him alone and by his word, we find the unifying principle of all of life (Hebrews 1:2-3). The Colossians, and all believers, are his servants who must daily trust him for protection, care, . . . sustenance,”3 and revival.
Accepting God’s Call (Gal. 6:14, 15; Rev. 3:14–16)
We stand at the threshold of revolutionary changes. We can choose to accept, deny, rationalize, or doubt the arrival of these changes. The anti-Christian era in which we are living indicates that we will be challenged regarding our beliefs about God, church, and salvation. He has chosen us–ordinary people–to work and speak for Him in extraordinary ways. Will you choose to be cold or lukewarm? “The typical Laodicean [lukewarm] Christian is content with things as they are and proud of the little progress he has made. It is almost impossible to convince him of his great need and of how far he is from the goal of perfection.”4
Or will you choose to be like Paul, who told the Christians in Galatia, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14, NIV)? “Paul could boast about the Cross because of what the Cross had accomplished in his life.”5 Surely, what counted for Paul was that God had transformed him from a murderer of Christians to a Christian himself—definitely a new creation (Gal. 6:15)!
Assurance in the Word of God (2 Cor. 1:20; 1 Pet. 1:6, 7)
If there ever was a time to return to God’s Word for revival and reformation, it is now. Believing in and holding on to His promises is key to experiencing His power during the last days of earth’s history. He has proved Himself to us before, so we know that He will prove Himself to us again. Scripture consistently demonstrates God’s unfailing love, purpose, and plan to all humankind. Are you willing to be a part of what He wants to do for us?
REACT
1. In the first section of today’s lesson, we read that God’s timing is always perfect. Think about an occasion when you personally experienced the truth of that statement. How can believing this truth help in the process of revival and reformation?
2. In what ways do you depend on God for “protection, care, and sustenance”?
3. Christ transformed Paul. In what ways has Christ transformed your life?
4. What is your idea of revival and reformation?
5. What would it take for you, your family, and your church to experience true revival and reformation?
1. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 5, p. 508.
2. Ibid., p. 509.
3. Life Application New Testament Commentary, Wordsearch 9 Software, on Col. 17.
4. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 7, p. 761.
5. Life Application New Testament Commentary, Wordsearch 9 Software, on Gal. 6:14.
Monday – A Loving Rebuke
Revelation 3:15-16
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 962
“The message to the Laodicean church applies most decidedly to those whose religious experience is insipid, who do not bear decided witness in favor of the truth.”2 Timothy 3:5
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!Matthew 15:8
8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
Hebrews 12:7-11
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened usas seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.Job 5:17-19
17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
19 He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.
Psalm 94:12
12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD,And teach out of Your law,
Proverbs 29:15-17
15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom,But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases;
But the righteous will see their fall.
17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
Yes, he will give delight to your soul.
Hosea 6:1
6 Come, and let us return to the LORD;For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
In Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Commenting on Revelation 3:15-16, Ellen G. White states: “The message to the Laodicean church applies most decidedly to those whose religious experience is insipid, who do not bear decided witness in favor of the truth.”- The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 962. This is a fascinating statement. An insipid religious experience is one that is lifeless. It has the outer husk of Christianity but lacks the substance. It has the external form but lacks the living power. The Laodiceans are not heretics or fiery fanatics; they are, simply, spiritually indifferent. The Laodiceans appear to be good moral people. They have what Paul calls, “a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5, NKJV). Jesus speaks of religious people in His day who “draw near to [Him] with their mouth and honor [Him] with their lips, but their heart is far from [Him]” (Matt. 15:8, NKJV).
Read Hebrews 12:7-11; Job 5:17-19; Psalm 94:12; and Proverbs 29:15, 17, and describe God’s purpose in His rebukes.
Our Lord loves His people too much to let them go easily to perdition. He will do whatever it takes to rekindle a spiritual flame in their hearts. His strong rebuke is because of a stronger love. His chastisement is only because of His longing to heal us. The prophet Hosea echoes this sentiment with this call to repentance: “Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up” (Hos. 6:1, NKJV).
Has God ever used painful, even embarrassing, experiences to humble you and draw you closer to Him? What did you learn from these experiences that, ideally, ensures you won’t have to go through them again?
From www.cqbiblestudy.org
Testimony The Revival of Primitive Godliness
Rev. 3:20
Monday JULY 1
“A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfil the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer.”1“Revival and reformation are two different things.”
“A revival and a reformation must take place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.”2
“Before the final visitation of God’s judgements upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His Word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming.”3
REACT
1. What things are hindering you from praying for true revival in your life today?
2. How can you use confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer to help reformation and revival happen in your life and in your church?
1. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 121.
2. White, The Review and Herald, February 25, 1902.
3. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 463, 464.
Tuesday - Perception and Reality
Revelation 3:17
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—Matthew 23:24
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!2 Corinthians 4:4
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.Luke 4:18
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Matthew 25:1-13
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No,lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
In Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
...One of Satan’s fatal deceptions is to blind us to the reality of our spiritual needs. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were blind to their own spiritual poverty. They were Bible-reading, Sabbath-keeping, tithe-paying “church” members looking for the coming of the Messiah. Yet, many were in darkness regarding the type of spiritual kingdom that He would usher in. Jesus called them “blind guides” (Matt. 23:24). Paul writes to the church at Corinth about those “whose minds the god of this age has blinded” (2 Cor. 4:4, NKJV). This is why Jesus said that He came for the “‘recovery of sight to the blind’” (Luke 4:18, NKJV). Jesus will restore the spiritual eyesight that we have lost if we allow Him. Every time that Jesus opened blind eyes in the New Testament, He was revealing His desire to open the eyes of our minds in order to enable us to see Him clearly.
Read Matthew 25:1-13. What are the similarities between the foolish virgins and the members of the church at Laodicea?
From www.cqbiblestudy.org
Evidence A Loving Rebuke
Rev. 3:15, 16
Tuesday JULY 2
The rebuke given to the Laodiceans is as strong as it comes. Notice that God uses language with which the Laodiceans could resonate. Two other towns near Laodicea had their own unique water sources. Hierapolis to the north claimed natural hot springs, which were often used for medicinal purposes. To the east, Colossae was known for its cold, pure water springs. Laodicea piped water from both sources, but by the time it arrived, both the water was lukewarm.We must remember God’s ultimate will for us.
The metaphor Jesus uses is not necessarily relating spiritual fervor to temperature, as often understood. If it were, it would mean He was commending them for being spiritually cold, which is unlikely. Instead, the metaphor is condemning Laodicea for not providing spiritual healing (being hot) or spiritual refreshment (being cold) to those around them. It is a rebuke of their lack of works (action) and lack of witness.1
It is important to remember that God’s rebukes and discipline is always in the context of a loving, parent-child relationship (Prov. 13:24; Rev. 3:19). In Hebrews 12:7–11, God’s discipline is directly paralleled to the discipline of a father to his child. The point is made that if we have respect toward our earthly fathers for disciplining us, how much more should we embrace and submit to our heavenly Father’s discipline (Heb. 12:9)?
I’ve heard it asked: what’s the difference between a butcher and a surgeon? The answer? A butcher cuts to kill, but a surgeon cuts to heal. This is the key to understanding God’s rebuke: there is always a purpose, and the purpose is always for our benefit, “that we may share in his holiness” (Heb. 12:10, NIV). Just as no one enjoys having surgery, no one enjoys being rebuked. And yet, in submitting to God’s chastening, Hebrews tells us that it will produce a “harvest of righteousness and peace” in our lives (Heb. 12:11, NIV).
When it comes to God’s loving rebuke of His Laodicean people, we must remember God’s ultimate will for us: to be like Him. It is never to condemn us or cut us off. It is always to bring us to repentance so that we can be even more intimately tied to our Savior than before. “Repentance puts you more closely in touch with Him and more fully releases His life through yours.”2
1. Limited Notes NET Bible, New English Translation, Revelation 3:15.
2. Dr. Larry Crabb, 66 Love Letters (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, 2010), p. 319.
Wednesday - The Divine Remedy
Revelation 3:18-19
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.1 Peter 1:7
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,Zechariah 3:1-5
3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORDrebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.
Revelation 19:7-9
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Ephesians 4:30
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.In Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
“The white raiment he invites the soul to wear is his own robes of righteousness, and the oil for anointing is the oil of his grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. Open your doors, says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, and transact your business with me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of me.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Aug. 7, 1894.
Ellen G. White quotes Revelation 3:20, saying of Jesus, “‘I stand at the door, and knock.’” Jesus knocks; He doesn’t break down the door and force His way in. What this means is that, in the end, regardless of what God is willing to do for us, we must make the choice to let Him in. Ask yourself, “How resistant am I to opening the door to Him?” If you are resistant, ask yourself, “Why?” What is holding you back? What sin, what indulgence, don’t you want to let go of, or what is it that you find so hard to let go of?
How-to Back to the Beginning
Zech. 3:1–5; Gal. 6:14, 15; Col. 1:13–17; Rev. 3:20
Wednesday JULY 3
Recently I became the parent of an amazing little boy. This experience has helped me to view Calvary from a father’s perspective. God the Father wanted a relationship with us so much that He gave us His only Son so we could reconnect with Him. When we realize that God gave us His only Son to buy us back from Satan, we get an idea of the value He places upon us. If we forget how much God and Christ paid to redeem us, then all the other truths we hold dear as Seventh-day Adventists are worthless.Everyone deserves to know about what Christ has done for them.
It is tempting at times to think that as we progress along the Christian path, we are getting better all by ourselves. We learn new truths and think that somehow believing them scores points with God. Yet the life of Paul teaches us that the closer we come to God, the more we realize that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves (1 Tim. 1:15, 16). Paul also was confident that God would save him (2 Tim. 4:8).
So how do we really experience revival?
Realize the great price God paid for our redemption (Luke 22:39–23:49). Spend time really thinking about what it would feel like to have someone give his or her life to save yours.
Read God’s love letter, the Bible, and talk with Him every day (Pss. 32:8; 55:17; 119:11). Let Him work in you to change your thoughts and heart.
Realize that each person we come in contact with is someone for whom Christ died (John 3:16). Everyone deserves to know about what Christ has done for them.
Realize that we can’t save anyone in our own strength, but only through the strength of Jesus (2 Cor. 12:9, 10). Jesus can work through the Holy Spirit on our behalf only when we realize just how weak we are.
Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks. Won’t you let Him in today and every day? He longs to revive you.
REACT
What deliberate steps can you take toward the Lord so that your relationship with Him will revive you?
Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Aug. 7, 1894
“Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” How can the truth be laid out before our people that they will every one arouse from the lethargy which has been upon them, and come to a realization of the times in which we are living? How shall we present the need of greater zeal and more determined earnestness in searching the Scriptures, so that they may dig in the mines of truth and bring forth the treasures of God’s word? It is not safe for us as reformers to repeat the history of the Reformers in every particular; for after those to whom God gave light advanced to a certain knowledge, many of them ceased to be reformers. We must not for a moment think that there is no more light and truth to be given us, and become careless, and let the sanctifying power of the truth leak out of our hearts by our attitude of satisfaction in what we have already attained. We are not to fold our hands in complacency, and say, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”It is a fact that we have the truth, and we must hold with tenacity to the positions that cannot be shaken; but we must not look with suspicion upon any new light which God may send, and say, Really, we cannot see that we need any more light than the old truth which we have hitherto received, and in which we are settled. While we hold to this position, the testimony of the True Witness applies to our cases its rebuke, “And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Those who feel rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, are in a condition of blindness as to their true condition before God, and they know it not. But the True Witness declares, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.”
What is it that constitutes the wretchedness, the nakedness of those who feel rich and increased with goods?—It is the want of the righteousness of Christ. In their own righteousness they are represented as clothed with filthy rags, and yet in this condition they flatter themselves that they are clothed upon with Christ’s righteousness. Could deception be greater? As is represented by the prophet, they may be crying, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we,” while their hearts are filled with unholy traffic and unrighteous barter. The courts of the soul-temple may be the haunt of envy, pride, passion, evil surmising, bitterness, and hollow formalism. Christ looks mournfully upon his professed people who feel rich and increased in the knowledge of the truth, and who are yet destitute of the truth in life and character and unconscious of their destitute condition. In sin and unbelief, they lightly regard the warnings and counsels of his servants, and treat his ambassadors with scorn and contempt, while their words of reproof are regarded as idle tales. Discernment seems to have departed, and they have no power to discriminate between the light which God sends them and the darkness that comes from the enemy of their souls.
The voice of the True Witness calls to his chosen people, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” We have tried to arouse our brethren to the fact that the Lord has rich blessings to bestow upon us as a people. The people of God have lost much by not maintaining the simplicity of the truth as it is in Jesus. This simplicity has been crowded out, and forms and ceremonies and a round of busy activities in mechanical work have taken its place. Pride and lukewarmness have made the professed people of God an offense in his sight. Boastful self-sufficiency and complacent self-righteousness have masked and concealed the beggary and nakedness of the soul; but with God all things are naked and manifest. Yet Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul-temple, proclaiming, “I stand at the door, and knock.” As a heavenly merchantman, he opens his treasures, and cries, “Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.” The gold he offers is without alloy, more precious than that of Ophir; for it is faith and love. The white raiment he invites the soul to wear is his own robes of righteousness, and the oil for anointing is the oil of his grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. Open your doors, says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, and transact your business with me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of me.
Those to whom God has intrusted sacred truths should be far in advance of what they are; they should have grown in grace and in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. All who practice the truth will be right and shining lights amid a crooked and perverse nation. Whatever light God sends us, let us be open to receive it, immediately recognizing the voice that says, “Buy of me.” Great weakness has been brought upon the church which he has blessed with great light, because their character and work have not corresponded to the light that God has given them. They have misrepresented the truth, and by their attitude have lulled the people to sleep, so that those with whom they have associated have no real sense of the times in which they are living.
The people of God have educated themselves in such a way that they have come to look to those in positions of trust as guardians of truth, and have placed men where God should be. When perplexities have come upon them, instead of seeking God, they have gone to human sources for help, and have received only such help as man can give. If as brave soldiers of Jesus Christ, they had borne their burden, doing their work with courage, with fidelity, and in faith, they would have received great blessings. Christ has sounded the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;” but instead of carrying their perplexities and difficulties to Jesus, as he has told them to do, they have laid their burdens upon human souls, and have looked to human beings and human counsels, and they have received accordingly; for God removes his wisdom from men who are looked up to as God. Those who occupy positions of trust are greatly injured when they are tempted by their brethren to think that they must always be consulted by the workers, and that the people should bring to them their difficulties and trials. It is a mistake to make men believe that the workers for Christ should make no move save that which has first been brought before some responsible man. Men must not be educated to look to men as to God. While it is necessary that there be a counseling together and a unity of action among the laborers, one man’s mind and one man’s judgment must not be the controlling power.
When Jesus went away, he intrusted to men his work in all its varied branches, and every true follower of Christ has some work to do for him, for which he is responsible to his own Master, and that work he is expected to do with fidelity, waiting for command and direction from his Leader. We are the responsible agents of God, and have been invested with the goods of heaven, and we should have an eye single to the glory of Him who has called us. On our part there should be a faithful execution of duty, doing our appointed task to the full measure of our intrusted capability. No living being can do our work for us. We must do our work through a diligent use of the intellect which God has given, gaining in knowledge and efficiency as we make progress in our work. God never designed that another should do our thinking, while we leave our mental powers to rust through inaction. God has never designed that one man should be crushed under the burden, should be loaded down with various kinds of work as a cart pressed beneath the sheaves, while another should go free of all burden and responsibility. The president of the Conference is not to do the thinking for all the people. He has not an immortal brain, but has capabilities and powers like any other man. And to every man God has given his work. When men place the president of the Conference in the place of God, and make him the depositary of all their difficulties, the bearer of all their burdens and troubles, and the adviser in all their plans and in all their perplexities, they are doing that which is exactly opposite to what Christ has told them to do.
Revelation 3:20
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.Thursday – A Relentless Love
Revelation 3:20
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.Song of Solomon 5:2-5
2 I sleep, but my heart is awake;It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;For my head is covered with dew,My locks with the drops of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;How can I defile them?
4 My beloved put his hand
By the latch of the door,And my heart yearned for him.5 I arose to open for my beloved,And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,On the handles of the lock.
Revelation 3:21
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.Revelation 5:12
12 saying with a loud voice:“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
In Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Christ uses His greatest motivation for His indifferent end-time people. The greatest motivation to wake us from spiritual slumber is Jesus’ endless love, for He longs to spend all eternity with us. If that is not enough to shake us out of our spiritual apathy, what is? If that is not enough to bring us to our knees, seeking revival, what will?
His love has provided eternity for us. We have royal blood running through our veins. We are sons and daughters of the King of the universe. We can reign with Him, seated upon His throne forever.
Christ longs to be in fellowship with you. How much do you want to be in fellowship with Him? The answer is simple. How much time do you spend in prayer and fellowship with the Lord? What does your answer tell you about yourself and, perhaps, just how lukewarm you might be?
From www.cqbiblestudy.org
Opinion In Need of a Doctor
Matthew 9; Col. 1:27; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; Rev. 3:1–18
Thursday JULY 4
“Its members are lukewarm.” That is the typical answer to the question “What is the problem with the Laodicean church?” However, when you read Revelation 3:17, you realize that being lukewarm is a symptom of a deeprooted disease—self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is the very thing that prevents a church from experiencing revival. Let us wake up and call upon the Doctor, Jesus Christ.When we see His glory, we begin to see our need.
Throughout the Gospels, Christ demonstrates His healing power to those who come to Him. He says, “ ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. . . . I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’ ” (Matt. 9:12, NIV). He came to heal all people, but not all people realize their need to be healed. To experience the reviving and transforming power of Christ, we must first acknowledge our disease. This is the challenge our church faces. Many members are so self-absorbed, that they do not recognize their condition. The solution is to focus once again on our first love (Rev. 2:4).
When we study the Bible and contemplate the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, our sins glare at us in piercing contrast to His perfection. The more exalted view we have of Him, the less exalted view we have of ourselves. When we see His glory, we begin to see our need. This sense of need will drive us straight to Him and His cure—His blood, shed on the cross for every sinner. “By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:24, NIV).
Jesus says, “ ‘I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in’ ” (Rev. 3:20, NIV). He is waiting to heal you. Allow Him to come in and cure your self-righteous heart. Come back to your first love, and He will transform you into His likeness. He will clothe you with His garments of righteousness. He promises that “ ‘to him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne’ ” (Rev. 3:21, NIV).
REACT
1. In what ways is not recognizing our sinful condition the real problem?
2. What correlations do you see between the Laodicean church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church today? Between the Laodicean church and Christianity in general?
3. How can we deal with self-righteousness in our church?
Friday – Futher Study
In Mark Finley, www.cqbiblestudy.org
“A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.
“The counsel of the True Witness is full of encouragement and comfort. The churches may yet obtain the gold of truth, faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure. ‘Buy of me gold that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.’ The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ that may be wrought into the character. Purity of heart, purity of motive, will characterize everyone who is washing his robe, and making it white in the blood of the Lamb.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 24, 1888.
Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”I am instructed to say that these words are applicable to Seventh-day Adventist churches in their present condition. The love of God has been lost, and this means the absence of love for one another. Self, self, self, is cherished, and is striving for the supremacy. How long is this to continue? Unless there is a reconversion, there will soon be such a lack of godliness that the Church will be represented by the barren fig tree. Great light has been given to her. She has had abundant opportunity for bearing much fruit. But selfishness has come in, and God says, “I will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
Jesus looked upon the pretentious, fruitless fig tree, and with mournful reluctance pronounced the words of doom. And under the curse of an offended God, the fig tree withered away. God help His people to make an application of this lesson while there is still time.
Just before His ascension, Christ said to His disciples, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” God’s people today are not fulfilling this commission as they should. Selfishness prevents them from receiving these words in their solemn significance.
In many hearts there seems to be scarcely a breath of spiritual life. This makes me very sad. I fear that aggressive warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil has not been maintained. Shall we cheer on, by a half-dead Christianity, the selfish, covetous spirit of the world, sharing its ungodliness and smiling on its falsehood?—Nay! By the grace of God let us be steadfast to the principles of truth, holding firm to the end the beginning of our confidence. We are to be “not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” One is our Master, even Christ. To Him we are to look. From Him we are to receive our wisdom. By His grace we are to preserve our integrity, standing before God in meekness and contrition, and representing Him to the world.
Sermons have been in great demand in our churches. The members have depended upon pulpit declamations instead of on the Holy Spirit. Uncalled for and unused, the spiritual gifts bestowed on them have dwindled into feebleness. If the ministers would go forth into new fields, the members would be obliged to bear responsibilities, and by use their capabilities would increase.
God brings against ministers and people the heavy charge of spiritual feebleness, saying, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children.
A revival and a reformation must take place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.
“Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Christ gave His life for a fallen race, leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps. To him who does this will be spoken the words of approval, “Well done, good and faithful servant; ... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
The word of the Lord never represses activity. It increases man’s usefulness by guiding his activities in the right direction. The Lord does not leave man without an object of pursuit. He places before him an immortal inheritance, and gives him ennobling truth, that he may advance in a safe and sure path, in pursuit of that which is worth the consecration of his highest capabilities,—a crown of everlasting life.
Man will increase in power as he follows on to know the Lord. As he endeavors to reach the highest standard, the Bible is as a light to guide his footsteps homeward. In that word he finds that he is a joint heir with Christ to an eternal treasure. The Guidebook points him to the unsearchable riches of heaven. By following on to know the Lord, he is securing never-ending happiness. Day by day the peace of God is his reward, and by faith he sees a home of everlasting sunshine, free from all sorrow and disappointment. God directs his footsteps, and keeps him from falling.
God loves His Church. There are tares mingled with the wheat, but the Lord knows His own. “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Shall not the counsel of Christ have an effect on the churches? Why halt, ye who know the truth, between two opinions? “If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” Christ’s followers have no right to stand on the ground of neutrality. There is more hope of an open enemy than of one who is neutral.
Let the Church respond to the words of the prophet, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.”
God’s people have lost their first love. They must now repent and make steady advancement in the path of holiness. God’s purposes reach to every phase of life. They are immutable, eternal; and at the time appointed they will be executed. For a time it may seem that Satan has all the power in his hands; but our trust is in God. When we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us, and will work with mighty power to accomplish His gracious purposes.
God rebukes His people for their sins, that He may humble them, and lead them to seek His face. As they reform, and His love revives in their hearts, His loving answers will come to their requests. He will strengthen them in reformatory action, lifting up for them a standard against the enemy. His rich blessing will rest upon them, and in bright rays they will reflect the light of heaven. Then a multitude not of their faith, seeing that God is with His people, will unite with them in serving the Redeemer.
Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 24, 1888.
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” The solemn question should come home to every member of our churches, How are we standing before God, as the professed followers of Jesus Christ? Is our light shining forth to the world in clear, steady rays? Have we, as a people solemnly dedicated to God, preserved our union with the Source of all light? Are not the symptoms of decay and declension painfully visible in the midst of the Christian churches of today? Spiritual death has come upon the people that should be manifesting life and zeal, purity and consecration, by the most earnest devotion to the cause of truth. The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God, speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are drifting away to sea, without chart or compass.What is to be done? The True Witness points out the only remedy: “Repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Christ will cease to take your name upon his lips in his intercession with the Father, unless there is a decided change in the life and characters of those who have wandered from the living God, and forsaken his service. Jesus declares, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” And yet the case is not altogether beyond remedy. The Mediator has not left them hopeless. He says, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.”
Although the oil in the lamps is almost consumed, and they have not been replenished, still you have not yet reached that desperate position described in the parable of the foolish virgins. They slumbered long, until their lamps were gone out, and they had made no provision for the time of need; and when the Bridegroom came, they were seeking, too late, to replenish their lamps: for the door was shut, and they were left to outer darkness and despair. But the counsel of the True Witness is full of encouragement and comfort. The churches may yet obtain the gold of truth, faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure. “Buy of me gold that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.” The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ that may be wrought into the character. Purity of heart, purity of motive, will characterize every one who is washing his robe, and making it white in the blood of the Lamb.
Today let the question come home to the heart of every one who professes the name of Christ, “Dost thou believe in the Son of God?” Not, “Do you admit that Jesus is the Redeemer of the world?” Not to soothe your conscience and the consciences of others by saying, “I believe,” and think that is all there is to be done. But do you believe with all your heart that Jesus is your Saviour? Do you bring him into your life, and weave him into your character, until you are one with Christ? Many accept Jesus as an article of belief, but they have no saving faith in him as their sacrifice and Saviour. They have no realization that Christ has died to save them from the penalty of the law which they have transgressed, in order that they may be brought back to loyalty to God. Do you believe that Christ, as your substitute, pays the debt of your transgression? Not, however, that you may continue in sin, but that you may be saved from your sins; that you, through the merits of his righteousness, may be re-instated to the favor of God. Do you know that a holy and just God will accept your efforts to keep his law, through the merits of his own beloved Son who died for your rebellion and sin?
You may say that you believe in Jesus, when you have an appreciation of the cost of salvation. You may make this claim, when you feel that Jesus died for you on the cruel cross of Calvary; when you have an intelligent, understanding faith that his death makes it possible for you to cease from sin, and to perfect a righteous character through the grace of God, bestowed upon you as the purchase of Christ’s blood. The eyes of fallen men may be anointed with the eye-salve of spiritual comprehension, and they may see themselves as they really are,—poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked. They may be brought to realize their need of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
The plan of salvation is not appreciated as it should be. It is not discerned or comprehended. It is made altogether a cheap affair; whereas to unite the human with the divine, required an exertion of Omnipotence. It was necessary that a great condescension should be made on the part of God in behalf of fallen man, who had transgressed the unchangeable law of Jehovah. Christ, by clothing his divinity with humanity, elevates humanity in the scale of moral value to an infinite worth. But what a condescension on the part of God, and on the part of his only begotten Son, who was equal with the Father! All this had to be done because God’s law had been transgressed.
So great has been the spiritual blindness of men, that they have sought to make of none effect the word of God. They have declared by their traditions, that the great plan of redemption was devised, in order to abolish, and make of none effect, the law of God; when Calvary is the mighty argument that proves the immutability of the precepts of Jehovah. The fact that God had to give his only begotten Son to die for a race condemned by the law, is sufficient to prove that the law could not be altered one jot or tittle. The professed Christian world is indeed in need of eye-salve, that they may see the character of God and his law. Their prayer should be as was David’s of old, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Has there been a departure from God? then there must be a returning unto him; there must be a doing of the first works; there must be a close examination of the life. The state of the character must be compared with the great moral standard of righteousness. There must be a searching out of the peculiar sins which have been offensive to God, which have dishonored his name, and quenched the light of his Spirit, and killed the first love from the soul. Whether it has been pride, sensuality, or turning the grace of Christ into lasciviousness, it must be thoroughly repented of, and forsaken.
There are many who profess to be Christians, while they are living a sinful, immoral life; but their profession will not cover them in the day of God. There is a large class who trample upon God’s law, who break its precepts, and teach others to do the same, terming it a “yoke of bondage;” while with words they exalt Jesus, and talk of being saved by grace. These are the ones who are turning the grace of Christ into lasciviousness. All such teaching has a tendency to enfeeble the moral tone of the religious world, and accounts for the miserable, heartless, outward form that is taking the place of the genuine piety that God desires in his people. How many come under the condemnation of the words of Christ! “I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
We are impressed with these words when we hear men who are trampling on the precepts of Heaven, making the claim that they are sanctified and sinless. They make high professions, but they refuse to search the Scriptures, that they may know what is truth. On one occasion a minister was brought to our notice who claimed that he was sinless. He declared that he was inspired by the Holy Ghost; and yet he would not read a word concerning present truth. He said the Lord taught him, and he had no need to depend on the word of life. He affirmed that the agitation of the Sabbath question was bringing men into bondage, rather than into liberty; and that all he wanted was the freedom of Christ,—the blessed faith of Christ. He professed to be filled with Christ. But could we receive the testimony of this man as truth? What is the language of the True Witness? “Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Paul asks, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.”
Are not such teachers the pretenders to whom Christ referred when he said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” God’s will is expressed in his holy law. This is the only correct standard of righteousness, and if a man’s character stands in harmony with the Lord’s standard, his testimony may be received and relied upon; but if he stands in opposition to the requirements of God, he measures himself and others by his own finite, fallible standard, and may claim as much as does the pope of Rome. In the light of the royal law, his character may be lacking in every essential qualification of purity and righteousness. He has torn down the true detector of sin, and has trampled it in the dust. He claims great spiritual riches,—wants nothing that he has not, and boasts of the grace of Christ, which he has turned into lasciviousness. These characters will multiply, and by smooth words and deceptive speeches will deceive the unwary and those who do not try the professions of men by the great Tester of character.
The world’s Redeemer declares, “I have kept my Father’s commandments.” “I counsel thee,” saith the True Witness, “to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.” Christ’s righteousness will not cover the unrighteousness of any one. “All unrighteousness is sin,” and “sin is the transgression of the law,” therefore, those who are breaking the law of God and teaching others to break it, will not be covered with the garments of Christ’s righteousness. He came not to save men in their sins; but from their sins. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him.” These utterances are weighty, and should be duly considered. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned [transgressed the law], we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” “My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” We need an advocate with the Father, because it is the Father’s law that we have broken. We need to repent of our transgression, and return to our allegiance to God. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins: and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” Here it is plainly stated that whosoever abideth in Christ will not be a transgressor of the law of God.
“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness, is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.” He was manifested to destroy, not the royal law of God, but “the works of the Devil.” “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.” “And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath given us.” “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
How bitterly do many of the ministers who stand in the sacred desk denounce the royal law of God, and many of them profess to be wholly sanctified to his service. They are of the class who break the law, and teach others to do the same; but does not Jesus say, “Whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven?” The True Witness presents encouragements to all who are seeking to walk in the path of humble obedience, through faith in his name. He declares, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” These are the words of our Substitute and Surety. He who is the divine Head of the church, the mightiest of conquerors, would point his followers to his life, his toils, his self-denials, his struggles, and sufferings, through contempt, through rejection, ridicule, scorn, insult, mockery, falsehood, up the path of Calvary to the scene of the crucifixion, that they might be encouraged to press on toward the mark for the prize and reward of the overcomer. Victory is assured through faith and obedience. Let us make an application of the words of Christ to our own individual cases. Are we poor, and blind, and wretched, and miserable? Then let us seek the gold and white raiment that he offers. The work of overcoming is not restricted to the age of the martyrs. The conflict is for us, in these days of subtle temptation to worldliness, to self-security, to indulgence of pride, covetousness, false doctrines, and immorality of life. “By their fruits ye shall know them,” and every church is to bear the test of God’s law. Shall we stand before the proving of God?
From www.cqbiblestudy.org
Exploration A Study in Contrasts
Gal. 6:14
Friday JULY 5
CONCLUDEGod chose us—ordinary people—to work and speak for Him in extraordinary ways. He never condemns us. But He continually works to bring us to repentance and deeper intimacy with our Savior. Revival is about falling in love with Jesus and understanding that He can be a reality in our daily lives. Reformation—a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits, and practices—comes when the Holy Spirit falls upon the people of God with supernatural power.
CONSIDER
- Making a painting with the colors red, yellow, and blue. Design it so that the colors mix together to change into secondary colors, and then to muddy browns. Show your painting to appreciative viewers, asking them what parts of the image catch their attention.
- Taking an electric fan disconnected from electrical power and spinning the blades by hand. How much of a breeze can you create manually? Then connect the fan to electricity. How much air moves now? Monday’s lesson talks about revival and reformation. How would you apply these two concepts to the electric fan experiment?
- Finding a writing project or a musical composition that you had set aside for some reason. What needs to happen to put it in a presentable form? Block out some time and go to work. What if this was your life or the life of someone close to you?
- Reading through your diaries from some time ago. Compare them with what you are writing about now. Look for evidence of God’s presence in your life that you might have forgotten about since you first wrote. Invite Jesus to help you see Him better.
- Watching Louie Giglio’s video on laminin at http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=GYGWPNNX. How does this video revive your relationship with God?
In Mark 5:1–20, an evil-soaked man talks with Jesus personally for only a few minutes. He receives no training in how to witness. Jesus sends him away and leaves in a boat. Consider what that short conversation accomplished.
Steve Case and Daniel Wysong, Jesus: 7 Keys for Finding Jesus in the Book of Revelation, distributed by Review and Herald®.
