Friends,
Revival will happen this time, and this is the way: If we ask God to give us His Holy Spirit and pray for each other, even for people we're not comfortable with in the church, and pray for our enemies. As simple as that...
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Visit www.sse6.blogspot.com for easy Sabbath School Lessons Resources in English and www.ese9.blogspot.com in French
SPIRITUAL POWERS
Visit www.sse6.blogspot.com for easy Sabbath School Lessons Resources in English and www.ese9.blogspot.com in French
SPIRITUAL POWERS
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
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
From www.ssnet.org and
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13c/helps/lesshp09.html
Lesson& References Index
Lesson 9 – August 24 – 30
Reformation: The Outgrowth of Revival
(All Bible texts are in the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated)Sabbath Afternoon
Memory text: Hebrews 2:11
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,2 Peter 3:17-18
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Revival is an ongoing process. Daily our Lord invites us into the joy of His presence. Just as Israel was nourished by the manna that fell from heaven, Jesus spreads out a spiritual banquet for us every day. Daily our souls are nourished, our spirits refreshed, and our hearts revived as we kneel quietly before His throne, meditating upon His Word. True spiritual renewal leads to a change in our thought patterns, habits, and lifestyle; it’s what we call a “reformation.”
“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever Amen” (2 Pet. 3:17, 18, NKJV). The term reformation simply refers to this “growing in grace”; it is allowing the Holy Spirit to align every aspect of our lives with God’s will. In those areas where we have drifted from obedience, revival reawakens our longings to please God. Reformation leads us to make the challenging choices to surrender anything that stands between us and Him.
In www.cqbiblestudy.org
Introduction “ ‘I Wish You Were . . .’ ”
Heb. 2:11
Sabbath AUGUST 24
“I promise I’ll change! Just give me a chance!” How many times have these short sentences prolonged the life of a dying relationship? I confess I’ve uttered these words when my girlfriend couldn’t bear the way things were going anymore. I’d gasp them in desperation, hoping they would grasp her heart. And it worked several times. But after a sigh of relief, I continued “doing me” until our relationship finally ended.Dating is the precursor to marriage. Jesus’ second coming is described as a wedding. “ ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ” (Matt. 25:6, NIV). But do you know how Jesus described our dating relationship with Him in this day and age? “ ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!’ ” (Rev. 3:15, NIV).
How much have you changed since you met Christ?
He couldn’t have been more accurate. Today, many Christians are somewhere in the middle. We have the world’s playlist on our iPods and the world’s profanity on our tongues. But on the seventh day we sing praises and preach sermons. Our lifestyle isn’t much different from the next person. We don’t like to stand out at all. We want to act like we’re not in a relationship while we think we’re dating Jesus.
How much have you changed since you met Christ? My friend said something to me once that left me stunned: “I look back and I’m not the same person I was yesterday or two days ago, because every day I grow in Christ.”
That certainly hasn’t been me in the past year. In fact, my relationship with Christ has been pretty stagnant lately. Maybe it’s time you and I take the next step: reformation. We believe in Jesus, but now we have to surrender the areas in our lives that we’ve kept from Him, areas where we want to remain single (see Rev. 3:20).
Today’s verse says, “Now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father” (Heb. 2:11, NLT). What’s getting in the way between you and God? Think about that as you study this week’s lesson. Remember that the words comprising this lesson have no power in and of themselves to change you. Only God’s Word can do that. So read the Bible verses! And pray that this week the Word will revive your dates with Jesus.
Sunday – The Prophet’s Appeal for Reformation
Judges 21:25
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.2 Chronicles 20:12
12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”2 Chronicles 20:1-20
1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and otherswith them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 and said: “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there notpower and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, whodrove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your nameis in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before theLORD.
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle.Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise theLORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, ww.ssnet.org
The Prophet’s Appeal for Reformation
God often sent His prophets to lead Israel into revival. Reformation regularly accompanied these times of revival. It is important to notice that even when God’s people drifted away from Him, they were still His chosen people. Again and again, He sent His messengers to guide them back. The examples of revival and reformation recorded in the Old Testament often have similar characteristics.Revival and reformation occurred in the Old Testament when there was a renewed heart commitment to obey God’s will. When Israel “turned to its own way” and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25), God withdrew His blessing, and the nation faced disaster and defeat.
In one instance, when God’s people faced one of their greatest challenges-a battle with the Ammonites and Moabites-King Jehoshaphat showed remarkable spiritual leadership. Throughout the crisis, the king sought to keep the eyes of all Israel focused on the power of God (2 Chron. 20:12).
The king recognized a critical point in sustaining all revival and reformation. What earnest counsel did he give his people? What spiritual pattern do we discover here for revival and reformation?
...“God was the strength of Judah in this crisis, and He is the strength of His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every emergency we are to feel that the battle is His. His resources are limitless, and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater.”-Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, p. 217.
Jehoshaphat’s experience illustrates the essence of revival and reformation. He led Israel into a united time of fasting, praying, trusting, and obeying God.
How can you learn, in your own times of stress and challenges, to apply the spiritual principles revealed here? What is the only way to truly exercise faith?
Logos Know Your R’s
Prov. 20:27; Rom. 6:5; 1 Cor. 15:17, 31; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:22–24; Col. 1:25, 26; Rev. 3:15–20
Sunday AUGUST 25
The lights go off, and a suspenseful blanket of silence covers the audience. The stage lights flash on and your heart races. The singer’s elegant form then slowly rises as his most popular song begins to play. Finally, he explodes into action; his voice reaches your heart. There seems to be a new energy moving through the arena, a new life. You can’t hear yourself think as the audience is revived by his music. He is so vibrant. There is life even in his shadow.Life is a stage, always in concert, and the audience is the universe.
Days later, sitting in a much smaller, less lively audience, you are battling sleep. Someone has been droning on for the past thirty minutes, and if it were not for some people wearing red and the lack of a casket, you would think you were attending a funeral. You look around. Those not sleeping are entertained by the game Angry Birds. Those with their Bibles open haven’t turned a page since the opening verse. You wonder why so many people are so disinterested. And then you wonder if Christianity went to the grave with Christ but failed to resurrect with Him.
Revival (1 Cor. 15:17, 31; Rev. 3:15–20)
Many people claim that Paul’s “dying daily” refers to total revival. But it is not enough to follow the “thou shalt nots,” maintain a healthful diet, and refrain from reckless partying. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Cor. 15:17, NIV). If we partake only in His death, then church becomes a funeral. This might explain why so many leave the church. Christ’s death brings us to the tomb and death to self. But does His resurrection wake us up to a new life in Him? This is what being lukewarm is about. Many of us are merely cold corpses living in a tomb, separated from the world.
Resurrection (Prov. 20:27; Rom. 6:5; Col. 1:25, 26)
Resurrection is a person’s becoming complete again. It is Christ dwelling in us, searching our innermost being, and purifying us with the flame of the Holy Spirit. After the Fall, humanity lost its natural inclination to the Spirit. That is why the Lord wants to light the wick of our spirit through His resurrection. When you accept Him completely, He does not continue to knock at your door. Instead, He enters, sits next to you at the dinner table, and passes the salt shaker to you. Once you are resurrected, life can never be the same because then you are with Jesus Christ, and He is transforming you on a daily basis.
Reformation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:22–24)
When you are crucified with Christ and arise from the grave of sin, reformation comes next. It consists of daily dying and resurrecting. God works on us continually and will not stop until He is done. His mind is now our mind, and eternal things attract us. Our affections and thoughts are focused on heavenly ideas and concepts. No longer are the people of the world strangers. Rather they are brothers and sisters waiting to know who we know. We have a burden to point all to Christ. And all that we say and do becomes our ministry. Each day is an adventure because we don’t know where the Spirit will lead us, or who the Spirit will bring our way. People will notice that when we are present, we make that part of the world a better place. Reformation as the outgrowth of revival finally becomes real.
Yes, life is a stage, always in concert, and the audience is the universe—angels as well as humanity. The world thinks you’re the performing artist, but you’re just the background for Him—the Messiah.
REACT
1. Research films, paintings, songs, and so on, about Christ’s ministry and resurrection. Where does the emphasis lie? Why do you think that is the case?
2. How do you plan on experiencing the resurrected life?
3. Read John 11:1–44. Imagine that you are Lazarus. How would you have lived after your resurrection? How does your answer help you to understand how to live a life of reformation now?
Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, p. 217.
The Battle is the Lord’s, July 30
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 2 Chronicles 20:12.Toward the close of Jehoshaphat’s reign the kingdom of Judah was invaded by an army before whose approach the inhabitants of the land had reason to tremble.... Jehoshaphat was a man of courage and valor. For years he had been strengthening his armies and his fortified cities. He was well prepared to meet almost any foe; yet in this crisis he put not his trust in the arm of flesh. Not by disciplined armies and fenced cities, but by a living faith in the God of Israel, could he hope to gain the victory over these heathen who boasted of their power to humble Judah in the eyes of the nations.
“Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” Standing in the temple court before his people, Jehoshaphat poured out his soul in prayer, pleading God’s promises, with confession of Israel’s helplessness....
With confidence Jehoshaphat could say to the Lord, “Our eyes are upon Thee.” For years he had taught the people to trust in the One who in past ages had so often interposed to save His chosen ones from utter destruction; and now, when the kingdom was in peril, Jehoshaphat did not stand alone; “all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” Unitedly they fasted and prayed; unitedly they besought the Lord to put their enemies to confusion, that the name of Jehovah might be glorified....
God was the strength of Judah in this crisis, and He is the strength of His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every emergency we are to feel that the battle is His. His resources are limitless, and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater.
Monday – Paul’s Appeal for Reformation in Corinth
1 Corinthians 5:1
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!1 Corinthians 6:19
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.1 Corinthians 15:1-2
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.1 Corinthians 15:27-28
27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.2 Corinthians 7:8-12
8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.2 Corinthians 7:16
16 Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he expresses great concern regarding their spiritual condition. Many members had drifted from God’s ideal. The situation was serious, including sexual immorality that, Paul said, was not seen even among the pagans (1 Cor. 5:1). A whole host of problems arose that Paul had to address. In light of this background, it is not difficult to understand why the Corinthian church needed revival and reformation.
...The apostle Paul urged them to steadfastly hold on to their faith and make God’s glory the primary goal of their lives. He reassured the Corinthians of his love and assured them that the power of God was greater than any temptation they faced (1 Cor. 10:13).
Paul was overjoyed with the Corinthians’ response. Although he still had concerns, he wrote, “I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything” (2 Cor. 7:16, NKJV). What a change. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul chastised them as “carnal.” In his second letter he expressed complete confidence in their new experience with God. The Holy Spirit brought the Corinthians spiritual renewal. This revival brought a corresponding reformation. Reformation led to changed habits, changed lives, and changed relationships. The Corinthians still faced spiritual challenges. They had their share of trials, but they made significant advances in their Christian faith. Revival and reformation are not some panacea to solve all of our spiritual problems. They are part of an ongoing faith journey.
In www.cqbiblestudy.org
Testimony “Bear One Another’s Burdens”
Gal. 6:2
Monday AUGUST 26
“At first the experience of the church at Ephesus was marked with childlike simplicity and fervor. The believers sought earnestly to obey every word of God, and their lives revealed an earnest, sincere love for Christ. They rejoiced to do the will of God because the Savior was in their hearts as an abiding presence. Filled with love for their Redeemer, their highest aim was to win souls to Him. They did not think of hoarding the precious treasure of the grace of Christ. They felt the importance of their calling; and, weighted with the message, ‘On earth peace, good will toward men,’ they burned with desire to carry the glad tidings of salvation to earth’s remotest bounds. And the world took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. Sinful men, repentant, pardoned, cleansed, and sanctified, were brought into partnership with God through His Son.”1God calls us to reform . . . for the sake of our Christian family.
When you first fell in love with Jesus, all you wanted to do was share His goodness. You were a baby, cooing, “Jesus loves you!” to every person with whom you came in contact. However, baby Christians often grow up to find themselves torn between legalism and freedom, and the freeing power of Christ’s love seems to no longer be as effective as it once was.
“But after a time the zeal of the believers, their love for God and for one another, began to wane. Coldness crept into the church. Differences sprang up, and the eyes of many were turned from beholding Jesus as the Author and Finisher of their faith. The masses that might have been convicted and converted by a faithful practice of the truth, were left unwarned.”2
When we lose sight of what being a Christian really means, our walk is affected, and so is the walk of our fellow Christians. God calls us to reform, not just for our sakes, but for the sake of our Christian family. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2, NKJV).
REACT
1. What causes the zeal of believers to wane? How can we help to keep new believers on fire for Christ?
2. Think of practical ways to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
1. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 578, 579.
2. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 422.
Tuesday - Revelation’s Appeal for Reformation
Read Revelation 2 and 3
Revelation 1:19
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.Revelation 2:1-6
1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have thisagainst you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Revelation’s Appeal for Reformation in Ephesus
The seven churches described in Revelation 2 and 3 are representative of the Christian church throughout the centuries. This is a view that has been taken by Bible students through the centuries. Seventh-day Adventist expositors have historically taken this position, as well.The angel instructs John to “‘write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this’” (Rev. 1:19, NKJV). The vision of the seven churches relates to the past, the present, and the future. It records the triumphs of God’s church, as well as its failures. It shares the church’s victories, as well as its defeats. Although the seven churches can represent a historical continuum of Christian faith down through the centuries, there are vital lessons in each one of these churches for God’s people today.
Ephesus, for instance, provides a striking illustration of heaven’s appeal for revival and reformation.
...Ephesus, here, is equated with the New Testament church from approximately A.D. 31 to A.D. 100. These early Christians were zealous for their faith. They labored unceasingly for the advancement of the gospel. The disciples diligently preserved the doctrinal purity of the church. They had no tolerance for heresy and were fierce defenders of truth.
As time went on, however, the members began to lose their “first love.” They substituted duty for devotion. Doing Jesus’ work became more important than their relationship with Him. Gradually and almost imperceptibly, their experience with Jesus began slipping away. They were laboring hard to defend the faith, but something vital was missing in their own spiritual experience. Love for Jesus and for one another was desperately lacking.
What was it like when you first came to know Jesus? How can you still maintain that “first love”? Why is it so important that you do? What things threaten to turn you away from that love?
In www.cqbiblestudy.org
Evidence Spring Cleaning
2 Chronicles 34
Tuesday AUGUST 27
King Josiah ascended to the throne at the age of eight (2 Chron. 34:1). There must have been intense pressure on him as he was growing up to maintain the status quo. Yet when he was 16, he decided to challenge the norm by following God’s will (verse 3). Since Judah was still under the control of Assyria, “Josiah, in turning back to Yahweh . . . was turning away from an imposed dependence on Assyria and its gods.”1 Also, Josiah rose to power during a time of political turmoil because his father had been assassinated (2 Chron. 33:24, 25). Yet despite fear of Assyrian armies and assassination, he decided to follow God.His heart pulsed with the beat of reformation.
Josiah’s personal spiritual revival resulted in outward actions when he began to cleanse Judah of false religious practices. Instead of just keeping it to himself, he took action and destroyed the idols throughout his territory. Thus we learn that revival drives us to change our habits, to remove the idols from our hearts, and to draw closer to the Lord.
Six years after Josiah began destroying the idols, he began to repair the temple of God (2 Chron. 34:8). During this time, a priest named Hilkiah discovered the “Book of the Law of the Lord” (verse 14, NKJV). After reading it, Josiah called for a gathering of all the prominent men in the land of Judah so they also could hear the commands of the Lord. This resulted in a national reformation unseen for hundreds of years in the land of Judah.
Throughout Josiah’s life, Judah followed the commandments of God (2 Chron. 34:33). “Though only 39 when he died, Josiah was remembered as Judah’s greatest king.”2 His heart pulsed with the beat of reformation, providing us with an example we should follow today. Let us walk in his footsteps and make a change in this world.
REACT
1. What does Josiah’s experience teach us about the role those in authority have when it comes to the spirituality of God’s people?
2. What can we learn about the role of the Bible in reformation from Josiah’s experience?
1. D. R. W. Wood and I. Howard Marshall, New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996), p. 614.
2. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tenn.: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), p. 956.
Wednesday - Luther’s Appeal for Reformation
Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”Romans 3:21-25
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,Romans 5:6-11
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.Romans 8:1-4
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Luther’s Appeal for Reformation
When we think of the word reformation , our minds are naturally drawn to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther. Until then, western Christianity was for the most part locked in tradition. The tenets of the church overshadowed the teachings of Jesus. Tradition became more quoted than Scripture. Multitudes were dominated by fear. They had little or no assurance of salvation. Confused and bewildered, they struggled to believe that God really longed to save them.It was at this crucial point of religious history that God raised up Martin Luther, among others, to lead His people into a thorough reformation. Luther had struggled with the guilt of his own sins for years until the light of the gospel broke through.
...“Sinners can be justified by God only when He pardons their sins, remits the punishment they deserve, and treats them as though they were really just and had not sinned, receiving them into divine favor and treating them as if they were righteous. They are justified alone through the imputed righteousness of Christ. The Father accepts the Son, and through the atoning sacrifice of His Son accepts the sinner.”-Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 194.
Understanding grace is life transforming. It is the very essence of Christianity. God’s unmerited, undeserved grace is the cornerstone of our faith. Through the life, death, resurrection, and priestly ministry of Jesus, the gift of eternal life is ours. Receiving it by faith, we have the assurance of salvation.
Revival has to do with appreciating the gift of grace every day. There is nothing more spiritually uplifting than the daily rejoicing in the goodness and grace of God. Reformation is simply living out that grace in all that we do.
Dwell on the great hope that salvation is found in what Christ has done for you. Why must that truth be the foundation of any revival and reformation in your life?
How-to Let Go; Let God
2 Chronicles 20
Wednesday AUGUST 28
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13, NKJV).[God] will come when the time is right.
God wants to help us through the reformation process. He does not leave us to fend for ourselves. But there are some things we must do so that He can help us. Below are ways we can let go and let God.
Seek God’s guidance (2 Chron. 20:3–12). The people of Ammon and Moab were coming together to battle Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. How often are we faced with what seems like insurmountable situations? Jehoshaphat was facing one such circumstance, and he, too, was naturally apprehensive. However, Scripture states that he “set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (verse 3, NKJV). We must first recognize that there is nothing in our lives that God cannot relate to. Then we must deliberately seek His guidance to get us through that situation.
Wait to hear God’s voice (2 Chron. 20:13). We live in an instantaneous society. We don’t want to wait for anything, including God. After Jehoshaphat and the Israelites sought the Lord’s guidance, Scripture states that they “stood before the Lord.” Once we have sought His guidance, we are to wait for Him to answer. He will come when the time is right.
Let God fight your battles (2 Chron. 20:15–17). Jehoshaphat and the Israelites waited patiently for God to respond. But God did so much more than they expected. He let Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah know that He was going to fight their battle. How much easier would life be if we just allowed God to fight our daily battles against sin? Let us claim the promise of Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us” (NIV)?
REACT
1. What does it mean to wait before the Lord? Is it literally standing in front of the altar until we “hear” something, or are we to be active while we wait? Explain your answer.
2. How do we know when we have heard from the Lord? How does God speak to us?
Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, Book 3, pp. 194-195.
The sinner views the spirituality of the law of God and its eternal obligations. He sees the love of God in providing a substitute and surety for guilty man, and that substitute is One equal with God. This display of grace in the gift of salvation to the world fills the sinner with amazement. This love of God to man breaks every barrier down. He comes to the cross, which has been placed midway between divinity and humanity, and repents of his sins of transgression, because Christ has been drawing him to Himself. He does not expect the law to cleanse him from sin, for there is no pardoning quality in the law to save the transgressors of the law. He looks to the atoning Sacrifice as his only hope, through repentance toward God—because the laws of his government have been broken—and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ as the One who can save and cleanse the sinner from every transgression.The mediatorial work of Christ commenced with the commencement of human guilt and suffering and misery, as soon as man became a transgressor. The law was not abolished to save man and bring him into union with God. But Christ assumed the office of his surety and deliverer in becoming sin for man, that man might become the righteousness of God in and through Him who was one with the Father. Sinners can be justified by God only when he pardons their sins, remits the punishment they deserve, and treats them as though they were really just and had not sinned, receiving them into divine favor and treating them as if they were righteous. They are justified alone through the imputed righteousness of Christ. The Father accepts the Son, and through the atoning sacrifice of his Son accepts the sinner.
A General Faith Is Not Enough—entertained by many, and their assent is given that Christianity is the only hope for perishing souls. But to believe this intellectually is not sufficient to the saving of the soul....
There will be need not only of faith but of a trust in God. This is the true faith of Abraham, a faith which produced fruits. “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness” (James 2:23). When God told him to offer his son as a sacrifice it was the same voice that had spoken telling him to leave his country and go into a land which God would show him. Abraham was saved by faith in Christ as verily as the sinner is saved by faith in Christ today.
The faith that justifies always produces first true repentance, and then good works, which are the fruit of that faith. There is no saving faith that does not produce good fruit. God gave Christ to our world to become the sinner’s substitute. The moment true faith in the merits of the costly atoning sacrifice is exercised, claiming Christ as a personal Saviour, that moment the sinner is justified before God, because he is pardoned.
Thursday – Heaven’s Appeal for an End-Time Reformation
Revelation 14:6-7
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”Revelation 14:12
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org
Heaven’s Appeal for an End-Time Reformation
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a reform movement. It was raised up by God to restore biblical truths lost sight of many centuries ago. Although the Holy Spirit worked powerfully through the Reformers, there were vital truths that they did not fully understand. God still had more truth to reveal to His people.God is not interested in our understanding truth merely to fill our minds with more religious knowledge. Biblical truths are windows into His very heart. They reveal something about His character. The more clearly that we understand the truths of His Word, the more completely we will understand the depth of His love. False doctrine distorts His character. Truth unmasks the devil’s lies and reveals who he really is (take, for instance, eternal torment in hell as a prime example of what lurks in Satan’s heart).
From the inception of the great controversy in heaven, Satan has attempted to malign the character of God. He has lied about God’s intentions toward His creatures. But, in the life that He lived, in the truths that He taught, and in the death that He died, Jesus revealed what His heavenly Father was really like.
...God’s end-time message of the “everlasting gospel” includes a call to obedience to God’s will in the light of the judgment hour. The judgment reveals to the whole universe both the justice and mercy of God. In an age of evolution, Jesus’ message of reformation also calls His people back to worship the Creator on the true Bible Sabbath. The Sabbath is a stunning rebuke to the error of Darwinian evolution and to the harsh and violent depiction of God that it presents.
What does it mean that the whole foundation of these messages is the “everlasting gospel”? How can you daily have the assurance that this gospel message is for you, whatever your mistakes? Why is it so important that you daily claim the gospel message for yourself?
Opinion The Battle of Reformation
2 Chron. 20:15
Thursday AUGUST 29
Recovery from an eating disorder involves a battle against self. I know because I have fought such a battle and still do. I try not to see food as an enemy or a coping mechanism. I try not to envy what “beautiful” girls have. I try not to hate what I see when I look in a mirror. I am trying to regain control of my mind from the spell I let Satan put on me.The battle is for God to fight, not us.
Reformation is also a battle against self. It means changing what has gone wrong or what has been corrupted and bringing it to a better state. It involves thoughts, habits, and lifestyles that have been corrupted and must be transformed for the better. I experience reformation in my recovery from an eating disorder—my body image and eating habits have been corrupted and must be reformed into something good. However, this is an emotionally torturous battle, requiring the change of a negative self-image that has festered for years and that is difficult to release. I have often felt alone in fighting this battle, and I have wondered if I will ever see victory.
King Jehoshaphat may have felt the same way as his enemies marched against Judah. He admitted to God that the Israelites were powerless against them. So he “set himself to seek the Lord” and declared, “ ‘our eyes are upon [God]’ ” (2 Chron. 20:3, 12, NKJV). Despite his fear, Jehoshaphat put his confidence in God. As king, he was expected to be in control of the situation and to demonstrate unwavering bravery, but he humbly confessed uncertainty and weakness. After Jehoshaphat admitted his vulnerability and requested God’s deliverance, God told Jehoshaphat and the Israelites not to be afraid, “ ‘for the battle is not yours, but God’s’ ” (verse 15).
In the battle that involves the reformation of thought and habit, you may feel as Jehoshaphat did—afraid, powerless, uncertain. You may feel that no one understands how you suffer and strive to change. You may feel alone in the fight against self. I know I did. But instead of allowing these feelings to overwhelm us, we can seek the Lord and trust Him. The battle is for God to fight, not us. Only when we allow Him to lead can we obtain victory over self and experience reformation.
REACT
The book of Revelation offers a number of promises regarding reformation. See Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26–28; 3:5, 12, 21. What do these texts mean to you?
Friday – Futher Study
In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.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 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.
“Whatever may be their profession, it is only those who are world servers at heart that act from policy rather than principle in religious things. We should choose the right because it is right, and leave consequences with God. To men of principle, faith, and daring, the world is indebted for its great reforms. By such men the work of reform for this time must be carried forward.”-Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 460.
In www.cqbiblestudy.org
Exploration Notice Anything Different?
2 Cor. 7:8–12
Friday AUGUST 30
CONCLUDELike any other intimate relationship, the Christian life requires change—often referred to as “reformation.” Such change is only real and worthwhile if you actually allow it to make a difference in your life. Experiencing the power of Christ’s resurrection leads to transformation and daily growth. King Josiah led Judah in changing the behaviors that were symptoms of their drift from God. King Jehoshaphat sought God and waited for Him to bring the promised victory. These and other biblical examples provide us with tools for reformation in our own lives.
Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.
The Need for a Revival and a Reformation
“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.
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 449-460.
Anciently the Lord declared to one who spoke in His name: "The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto Me." Nevertheless He said: "Thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear." Ezekiel 3:7; 2:7. To the servant of God at this time is the command addressed: "Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."So far as his opportunities extend, everyone who has received the light of truth is under the same solemn and fearful responsibility as was the prophet of Israel, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: "Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." Ezekiel 33:7-9.
The great obstacle both to the acceptance and to the promulgation of truth is the fact that it involves inconvenience and reproach. This is the only argument against the truth which its advocates have never been able to refute. But this does not deter the true followers of Christ. These do not wait for truth to become popular. Being convinced of their duty, they deliberately accept the cross, with the apostle Paul counting that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" with one of old, "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." 2 Corinthians 4:17; Hebrews 11:26.
Whatever may be their profession, it is only those who are world servers at heart that act from policy rather than principle in religious things. We should choose the right because it is right, and leave consequences with God. To men of principle, faith, and daring, the world is indebted for its great reforms. By such men the work of reform for this time must be carried forward.
Thus saith the Lord: "Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation." Isaiah 51:7, 8.
