Lesson 3 The Word: The Foundation of Revival– June 13 to July 19, 3nd Quarter 2013 REVIVAL AND REFORMATION. The lesson in verses, with notes, comes after the outlines of important Bible passages in its context. 

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 an outline of Psalm 119 at www.google.com

From https://wikis.engrade.com/psalmfall2010/1311022010
OUTLINE of Psalm 119

I. WALKING IN THE WORD (119:1-8)
A. The Blessing of Walking in God's Word (119:1-2)
B. The Obedience of Walking in God's Word (119:3-4)
C. The Struggle of Walking in God's Word (119:5-6)
D. The Benefits of Walking in God's Word (119:7-8)

II. CLEANSED BY THE WORD (119:9-13)
A. Cleansing the Way of the Young Man (119:9)
B. Cleansing Those Who Seek with the Whole Heart (119:10)
C. Cleansing through the Hiding of God's Word in the Heart (119:11)
D. Cleansing So That God's Word Might Be Proclaimed (119:12-13)

III. REJOICING IN THE WORD (119:14-18)
A. Rejoicing in the Riches of God's Word (119:14)
B. Rejoicing in the Teaching of God's Word (119:15-16)
C. Rejoicing in the Keeping of God's Word (119:17)
D. Rejoicing in the unfolding of God's Word (119:18)

IV. EXALTATION OF THE WORD (119:89-96)
A. Exalted by Its Place in Heaven (119:89)
B. Exalted by the Faithfulness of God (119:90-91)
C. Exalted by Its Power in Times of Affliction (119:92-95)
D. Exalted by the Broadness of Its Truth (119:96)

V. LEARNING FROM THE WORD (119:97-105)
A. Learning Through Daily Meditation (119:97)
B. Learning Beyond All Other Learning (119:98-100)
C. Learning That Remains in the Learner (119:101-102)
D. Learning That is Sweet to the Soul (119:103)
E. Learning That Turns the Soul From Falsehood (119:104)
F. Learning That Lightens the Way (119:105)

VI. LED BY THE WORD (119:129-136)
A. Led by the Light of the Word (119:129-130)
B. Led by the Love of the Word (119:131-132)
C. Led by the Teaching of the Word (119:133-135)
D. Led by the Shunning of the Unrighteous (119:136)

VII. PURIFIED BY THE WORD (119:137-140)
A. Pure Words from a Pure God (119:137-138)
B. Pure Words Rejected by Men (119:139)
C. Pure Words Loved by God's Servant (119:140)


From www.ssnet.org
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13c/helps/lesshp03.html
Lesson& References Index

Lesson 3 – July 13-19

The Word: The Foundation of Revival

(All Bible texts are in the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated)

Sabbath Afternoon

Memory text: Psalm 119:154

154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word

Matthew 24:14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.og

...The Holy Spirit will move upon a generation of committed Adventist Christians who have discovered His will in His Word and are passionate about proclaiming it to the world.
They will have found grace and strength and hope in His Word; they will have come face to face with the matchless charms of Christ in His Word. Thus, God will honor their commitment by pouring out His Holy Spirit in abundance, and the whole world will be lightened with the glory of the three angels’ messages. The Holy Spirit will be poured out beyond measure, and the gospel will be carried to the ends of the earth and Jesus Christ will return (Matt. 24:14).

Sunday – Revived Through the Word

Psalm 119:25

25 My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.

Psalm 119:10

10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

Psalm 119:153-154

153 Consider my affliction and deliver me,
For I do not forget Your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.

Psalm 119:50

50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.

Psalm 119:74

74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.

Psalm 119:116

116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

Psalm 119:130

130 The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:160

160 The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Psalm 119:169-170

169 Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You;Deliver me according to Your word.

Psalm 119:130

130 The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:81

81 My soul faints for Your salvation,
But I hope in Your word.

Psalm 34:4

4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 32:1-2

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Psalm 32:8

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.

Psalm 119:50

50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

...The problem is that human counsel does not carry with it the power to accomplish the kind of change that God’s Word can. God’s Word is a living, dynamic, powerful agent of change. The same power that was in God’s spoken word at Creation is in the Written Word of God. Accepting God’s commands and promises by faith, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that which Christ commands.

...David found courage and strength in God’s Word. He discovered hope and divine guidance in God’s Word. The Word of God brought light to his darkened mind (Ps. 119:130). It nourished his famished heart and quenched his thirsty soul (Ps. 119:81). When Saul threatened to kill him, he clung to God’s promise of deliverance (Ps. 34:4). Plagued with guilt after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, he clung to God’s promise of forgiveness (Ps. 32:1-2). Perplexed regarding the future, he clung to God’s promise of guidance (Ps. 32:8). David jubilantly exclaimed, “For Your word has given me life” (Ps. 119:50, NKJV). The foundation of revival is all about finding new life in God’s Word.

www.cqbiblestudy.org

Logos Amidst All the Advertising

Pss. 19:1; 33:6, 9; 34:8; Matt. 8:5–10; 14:22–33; Luke 14:22–33; 18:8; John 4:13, 14; Heb. 4:12; James 1:21–25

sunday JULY 14

Living Up to the Hype (John 4:13, 14)

What happens when you wake up and you don’t feel like being a Christian?

God’s Word a Constant (Pss. 19:1; 33:6, 9; Heb. 4:12)

A New Definition of Faith (Matt. 8:5–10; 14:22–33; Luke 18:8)

Just Do It! (Ps. 34:8; James 1:21–25)

Christ calls us to trust Him. Don’t rely on your parents’, teachers’, or preachers’ religion. Christ asks you, yourself, to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8, NIV).

Monday –  The Word’s Creative Power

Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Psalm 33:6

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

Psalm 33:9

9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

Hebrews 11:3

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Ellen G. White, Education , pp. 126-127.

The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. From the first intimation of hope in the sentence pronounced in Eden to that last glorious promise of the Revelation, “They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4), the burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme,—man’s uplifting,—the power of God, “which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57.
He who grasps this thought has before him an infinite field for study. He has the key that will unlock to him the whole treasure house of God's word.

The science of redemption is the science of all sciences; the science that is the study of the angels and of all the intelligences of the unfallen worlds; the science that engages the attention of our Lord and Saviour; the science that enters into the purpose brooded in the mind of the Infinite--"kept in silence through times eternal" (Romans 16:25, R.V.); the science that will be the study of God's redeemed throughout endless ages. This is the highest study in which it is possible for man to engage. As no other study can, it will quicken the mind and uplift the soul.

"The excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it." "The words that I speak unto you," said Jesus, "they are spirit, and they are life." "This is life eternal, that they should know Thee the only true God, and Him whom Thou didst send." Ecclesiastes 7:12; John 6:63; 17:3, R.V.

The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. This word imparts power; it begets life. Every command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it brings with it the life of the Infinite One. It transforms the nature and re-creates the soul in the image of God.

The life thus imparted is in like manner sustained. "By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) shall man live.

The mind, the soul, is built up by that upon which it feeds; and it rests with us to determine upon what it shall be fed. It is within the power of everyone to choose the topics that shall occupy the thoughts and shape the character. Of every human being privileged with access to the Scriptures, God says, "I have written to him the great things of My law." "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Hosea 8:12; Jeremiah 33:3.

With the word of God in his hands, every human being, wherever his lot in life may be cast, may have such companionship as he shall choose. In its pages he may hold converse with the noblest and best of the human race, and may listen to the voice of the Eternal as He speaks with men. As he studies and meditates upon the themes into which "the angels desire to look" (1 Peter 1:12), he may have their companionship. He may follow the steps of the heavenly Teacher, and listen to His words as when He taught on mountain and plain and sea. He may dwell in this world in the atmosphere of heaven, imparting to earth's sorrowing and tempted ones thoughts of hope and longings for holiness; himself coming closer and still closer into fellowship with the Unseen; like him of old who walked with God, drawing nearer and nearer the threshold of the eternal world, until the portals shall open, and he shall enter there. He will find himself no stranger. The voices that will greet him are the voices of the holy ones, who, unseen, were on earth his companions --voices that here he learned to distinguish and to love. He who through the word of God has lived in fellowship with heaven, will find himself at home in heaven's companionship.

Matthew 4:4

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

...The problem is that human counsel does not carry with it the power to accomplish the kind of change that God’s Word can. God’s Word is a living, dynamic, powerful agent of change. The same power that was in God’s spoken word at Creation is in the Written Word of God. Accepting God’s commands and promises by faith, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that which Christ commands.

...A casual reading of God’s Word very seldom produces spiritual revival. Studying the Bible to prove one’s own position, or to convince someone else of his or her mistakes, does very little good for our own spiritual life. Change comes when we prayerfully read God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to give us the power to be more like Jesus. Real transformation takes place when we ask the God of creation to recreate us in His image. Change comes when Jesus’ teachings in Scripture become part of our lives, and we live “ ‘by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ ” (Matt. 4:4).


www.cqbiblestudy.org

Testimony The Scripture Our Safeguard

John 5:39

Monday JULY 15

“Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world’s great men will be brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world’s greatest men, it will be done.

“We need to have an individual, personal experience.”

“We must individually know for ourselves what is truth, and be pre­pared to give a reason of the hope that we have with meekness and fear, not in a proud, boasting, self-sufficiency, but with the spirit of Christ. We are nearing the time when we shall stand individually alone to answer for our belief. Religious errors are multiplying and entwining themselves with Satanic power about the people. There is scarcely a doctrine of the Bible that has not been denied.”1

“God help us to be Bible students. Until you can see the reason for it yourself and a ‘thus saith the Lord’ in the Scriptures, don’t trust any living man to interpret the Bible for you. And when you can see this, you know it for yourself, and know it to be the truth of God. You will say, ‘I have read it, I have seen it, and my own heart takes hold upon it, and it is the truth God has spoken to me from His Word.’ Now this is what we are to be—individual Christians. We need to have an individual, personal experience. . . .

“God help us to have a knowledge of the truth, and if you have seen the truth of God, press right to the light and put up the bars behind you. Make not flesh your arm; but have a living experience for yourselves, and then your countenance will shine with the glory of God. You have walked with Him, and He has upheld you. You have wrestled with Him and pleaded with Him, and He has let His light shine upon you.”2

REACT
1. How do you apply the principle of putting the truth of God’s Word above human options?
2. Describe a time when you used God’s Word to direct you in a decision.
1. Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 69.
2. White, Faith and Works, pp. 77, 78

 

Tuesday - Jesus and the Word

John 5:39

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

John 16:14-15

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Luke 24:27

27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:32

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

In the Sabbath  School by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

The Word of God bears witness of Jesus. The Holy Spirit also bears witness of Jesus. The Spirit leads us to a deeper experience with Jesus through His Word. The purpose of the Holy Spirit in revival is not primarily to manifest Himself through supernatural signs and wonders but to exalt Jesus through His Word. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not about our power to accomplish great miracles. It is about God’s power to transform our lives-and that’s what revival and reformation are all about.

...When revival is rooted in the Word of God, it is an experience that lasts and makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.

...The story of Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the Emmaus road reveals the role that the Bible plays in initiating true revival. These followers of Christ were filled with confusion. Gradually, however, He “expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27, NKJV). He repeated the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah. Jesus could have worked a miracle to prove His identity or showed the scars in His hands. He did not. Instead, He gave them a Bible study.


In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Evidence Not Just Another Book

James 1:21–25; 1 Pet. 1:22, 23

Tuesday JULY 16

...James 1:21–25 talks about how we can be saved through reading God’s Word. But first we must “lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (verse 21, NKJV). I love how James talks about receiving with meekness the implanted word. The word meek implies a gentle spirit. We come to God with a gentle spirit and accept what He wants to do for us. These verses challenge us to walk closer to God by setting aside our wickedness, and 1 Peter 1:22, 23 shows the results of doing so. Note especially verse 23. Here Peter compares and contrasts what life is like before being born again and what it is like after we are born again. He states that those who are born again through the Word of God have incorruptible seed. In other words, as they read God’s Word, they are changed and made able to stand firm in the truth of the Word.

...Once Christians spend time in the Word every day and dedicate themselves to living changed lives, then personal revival will happen.

Wednesday - Revival, Faith, and the Word

Luke 18:8

8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Romans 10:17

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

James 2:17-18

17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Hebrews 4:1-2

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

Matthew 8:8-10

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

John 5:6-9

6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath.

Matthew 14:29-33

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Romans 12:3

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

Faith, true faith, is always focused on God’s will, not on our wishes. It is trusting in God, believing in His promises, and acting on His Word. Our faith grows as we listen to God’s Word and put it into practice (Rom. 10:17; James 2:17-18). Opening our minds to the teachings of God’s Word builds faith; and doing what God says-even if it is contrary to our personal desires-prepares us to receive the fullness of the Spirit’s power.

www.cqbiblestudy.org

How-to Back to the Basics

2 Tim. 3:16; James 1:21–25

Wednesday JULY 17

...Are we so engrossed in following the world’s “instructions” that we neglect to pursue what’s most valuable? Simply stated, the Bible is the story of Jesus and how we can become more like Him. The more we read about Christ and do what it says (James 1:22), the more we will become like Him.

 

Thursday – The Word: Revival’s Guardian and Safeguard

Acts 20:27-32

27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

1 Peter 1:22-23

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

James 1:21-22

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

1 John 2:14

14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.

In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

...The Holy Spirit mightily moved through the teaching and preaching of the apostle Paul as he established the Christian church in Ephesus.

...Especially notice the disciples’ teaching regarding the impact of the Bible in our spiritual lives.

Opinion Revival From the Word

Matt. 24:12–14; John 5:39, 40; James 1:21–25

Thursday JULY 18

...This warns us that there is a fine line between just reading the Bible as opposed to actually living the Word of God in our own daily lives and having it become part of the fabric of our characters. James 1:21–25 is rather direct about this issue. Verse 22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (NIV).

Revival is a daily process.

Another aspect of spiritual revival is reflecting God’s love. “ ‘Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come’ ” (Matt. 24:12–14, NIV). How do we treat family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and so on? I have seen gradual but continual church growth when people find ways to help those around them in addition to spending time reading their Bibles.

 

Friday – Futher Study

CHAPTER 37

Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp 593-595

The Scriptures a Safeguard

''To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20. The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God's work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.

Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?

Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb, and angels were present to impress His words on minds and hearts. But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious death. The words which they needed to remember were banished from their minds; and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them. So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.

When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9-11), should lead all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to avoid receiving it. But the masses of the people turn away their ears from hearing the truth and are turned unto fables. The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine." 2 Timothy 4:3. That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.

But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority--not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain "Thus saith the Lord" in its support.

James 1:22

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Exploration Consuming Brings About Doing

2 Chron. 7:14

Friday JULY 19

CONCLUDE

... It’s not enough just to search the pages. Consuming His Word with our hearts brings about a life-changing experience. Satisfaction. When we eat a chocolate-chip cookie, we often share it with someone else. It’s so good we want to spread the love. But how do we reach this life-altering change in our lives? It’s a daily process of reading what He says and then doing what He says. It’s not because of the rules, or because it’s the right thing to do. When we truly fall in love with Jesus, it’s just something we do because we love Him.