the bands which have held them. Family connections, church rela- 111 Further Study: “The message willbe carried not so much by argu-ment as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever 1 tions, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 612. 2 Discussion Questions: l1 In the statement above, Ellen G. White wrote: “The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep convic-tion of the Spirit of God.” In class, discuss what you think that means. What does it not mean? After all, our message is very logical, very reasonable, and it comes with some very powerful arguments in its favor. How are we to understand, then, what she is telling us? 3 l2 What spiritual application do the promises God gave to His people in the Old Testament have for His church today? Deut. 11:13–18, Hos. 6:1–3, 10:12. l3 Dr. Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s greatest scientists, called the concept of an afterlife a “fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” Why does a statement like that show just how cru-cial and hopeful our message is for a world that knows neither God nor His love? l4 Though we don’t know when Jesus is going to come back, we do know that we want Him to and that we want this sin-sick world to end and a new sinless world to begin. That’s why we believe revival and reformation are so crucial to us as a people, and it’s why our leaders are calling us to it. In the end, though, it will not come by anything other than the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and that will not happen until we, as individuals, make a conscious choice to surrender ourselves with all our hearts and souls and minds to the Lord. How can we, without judging others, without making comparisons among ourselves, do our part to encourage one another to be prepared for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives? i n s i d eStory I Want to Serve! Marquan loves Jesus and wants everyone to know about Him. When he was five, he wanted to learn to read so he could read the Bible for himself. One day he asked his pastor for a job at church. The pastor invited him to tell the children’s story. Marquan did a good job and was invited to speak more often. Then one day the pastor asked him to preach. “Me? I’m only eight years old,” Marquan said, surprised. “It doesn’t matter how old you are.” The pastor smiled. “God can use anyone who is willing.” I’m just a kid, Marquan thought. What would I preach about? Would people even listen to a child? Marquan promised to pray about it.Marquan’s grandmother told him that the prophet Jeremiah had thought he was too young to preach, too, but God had told him that he must share the love of God with everyone God sent him to. Marquan decided that God was asking him to preach. His father helped him to write his first sermon, and then Marquan memorized it. Marquan felt a little nervous on the day he was to preach. But he remembered God’s words to the prophet Isaiah, “I have put my words in your mouth” (Isaiah 51:16, NIV). Marquan knew that God was with him, and his nervousness went away. People at other churches in his town heard about the boy’s sermon, and they invited him to speak at their churches. Marquan accepted the invita-tions, for he had promised God that he would do whatever God asked him to do. He prayed that his sermons would be a blessing to everyone who heard them. When Marquan was 12, his pastor offered him a new challenge. “The church is planning a three-week Revelation Seminar, and we would like you to lead it,” the pastor said. Preparing and preaching 21 sermons was a huge commitment for a young boy. But Marquan prayed about it and felt sure that God wanted him to do it. The church held the meetings in a rented hall. On opening night some 250 people came. Many returned each night to hear a young boy preach God’s Word. “I’ve learned that if we’re willing, God can use anyone to tell others about Jesus,” Marquan said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are; Jesus just wants you to be willing to tell others about Him.” God has blessed us with truths that millions don’t know. It’s our duty to share these truths. We can tell others, we can pray for them, and we can give mission offerings so that those whom we may never meet will have a chance to hear that Jesus loves us. marquanBuchanan shares his faith in hishometown in Arkansas, United States. September 27 friday
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 06:01:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015