Sabbath Afternoon - January 7
Memory Text:
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” KJV — Deuteronomy 28:1, 2
“God would have his people clearly understand that they will be visited according to their obedience or transgression. Wickedness and disease have increased with every successive generation. The land has labored under the curse which man has brought upon it because of continued disobedience. “The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate.” Many marvel that the human race have so degenerated, physically, mentally, and morally. They do not understand that it is the violation of God's constitution and laws, and the violation of the laws of health, that has produced this sad degeneracy. The transgression of God's commandments has caused his prospering hand to be removed.” 4aSG 123.2
Sunday - January 8
The Salvation Covenant
1 John 5;13, Matthew 10:22, John 6:29, 2 Peter 1:10, 11.
What do the above texts have to say about how people receive the gift of salvation in Jesus?
“For many years Peter had been urging upon the believers the necessity of a constant growth in grace and in a knowledge of the truth; and now, knowing that soon he would be called to suffer martyrdom for his faith, he once more drew attention to the precious privileges within the reach of every believer. In the full assurance of his faith the aged disciple exhorted his brethren to steadfastness of purpose in the Christian life. “Give diligence,” he pleaded, “to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Precious assurance! Glorious is the hope before the believer as he advances by faith toward the heights of Christian perfection!” AA 533.2
“‘Behold,’ Christ said, ‘I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.’ ‘Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ Matthew 10:16, 22. They hated Christ without a cause. Is it any marvel that they hate those who bear his sign, who do his service? They are counted as the offscouring of the earth.” RH April 20, 1911, par. 19
“‘Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.’ The price of heaven is Jesus. The way to heaven is through faith in ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’” John 1:29. DA 385.2
“It is the gospel, and the gospel alone, that will sanctify the soul. And this makes possible to the receiver that life “that measures with the life of God.” This is the record that God has given us, even eternal life; and this life is in His Son. He who is a partaker of the divine nature will escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. His faith in Christ as the Life-giver, gives him life. ‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.’” 4MR 356.1
How thankful we ought to be that the Lord is feeding us with “meat in due season”! Though people kill one another by the millions in order to free themselves from the yoke of some other nation, Moses freed ancient Israel without a casualty. We should now know that faith removes mountains, while doubt ruins nations. We should no longer be fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have written (Lu. 24:25) “Believe” was Jesus’ motto, and it should be ours, too. No doubters will ever enter His Kingdom.
These things are written “that ye might believe….” John 20:31.
Monday - January 9
To Hearken Diligently
Deuteronomy 28;1-14
What great blessings are promised the people? But what must they do to receive them?
“After the public rehearsal of the law, Moses completed the work of writing all the laws, the statutes, and the judgments which God had given him, and all the regulations concerning the sacrificial system. The book containing these was placed in charge of the proper officers, and was for safe keeping deposited in the side of the ark. Still the great leader was filled with fear that the people would depart from God. In a most sublime and thrilling address he set before them the blessings that would be theirs on condition of obedience, and the curses that would follow upon transgression: PP 466.1
“‘If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day,” “blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field,” in “the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle.... Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face.... The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto.’ PP 466.2
“‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee,” ‘nd thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee.’ ‘And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: in the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.’” PP 466.3
The people who were fortunate enough to be the closest to the religion of Christ, are, you will find, the most intelligent, the most prosperous. England, for example, who translated the Bible and published and scattered It throughout the world to all peoples and languages, became the greatest of the nations in its time. Then the United States (but a sister nation to the English Empire), who less than two centuries ago founded its government upon the principles of the Bible and inscribed on its dollar, IN GOD WE TRUST, and who also established the American Bible Societies, in but a comparatively few years became the greatest of nations, as did the Hebrews in their day.
On the other hand those who turned against the religion of the Bible, were left desolate – their blessings became a curse to them. The hated Jews, for whom there is no spot on earth, are the best example. Germany, who led out in the Reformation but who turned back from it, has reaped a sorrowful harvest, too.
And what is true with the nations is, of course, just as true with individuals, homes, families, and communities.
If you will take a little time to observe, you will see this law of blessings and cursings in demonstration everywhere without exception.
The world was founded upon religion, and you can rest assured that when religion disappears from the earth, the world will disappear with it. Those who fall in love with the Truth will find that blessings will, reciprocally, fall in love with them.
Tuesday - January 10
Honor the Lord
Proverbs 3;1-10
What wonderful promises are given here? Also, what does “first fruits of all your increase” mean?
“Unselfish liberality threw the early church into a transport of joy; the believers knew that their efforts were helping to send the gospel to those in darkness. Their benevolence testified that they had not received the grace of God in vain. In the eyes of believers and unbelievers such liberality was a miracle of grace. TT 181.4
“Spiritual prosperity is closely bound up with Christian liberality. As the followers of Christ give to the Lord, they have the assurance that their treasure is going before them to the heavenly courts. Would you make your property secure? Place it in the hands that bear the marks of the crucifixion. Would you enjoy your substance? Use it to bless the needy. Would you increase your possessions? “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9, 10. Seek to retain possessions for selfish purposes, and it will be to eternal loss. But treasure given to God bears His inscription. TT 181.5
“‘One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.’ Proverbs 11:24, RSV. The sower multiplies his seed by casting it away. So those who are faithful in imparting God's gifts increase their blessings. See Luke 6:38.” TT 182.1
Solomon admonishes: “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." (Prov. 3:9.) "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me." (Ex. 22:29.) "And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep;...the firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep shalt thou give Him." (Deut. 18:3,4.) "That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place His name there." (Deut. 26:2.)
"As it is written in the law:...to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the Lord." (Neh. 10:34, 35.).
From these scriptures we are not, however, to draw the erroneous conclusion that all of the firstfruits are demanded by the Lord. God requires only an offering of the first of the firstfruits, as is proved by the fact of the wavesheaf, presented to the Lord before the individual could harvest his crop of firstfruits (Lev. 23:10); that is, besides the tithe, we owe an offering, and should not hold back God's portion but pay it at once, before we appropriate to ourselves any of our increase.
Wednesday - January 11
The Tithe Contract
Malachi 3:7-11
What are the promises and obligations found in the above verses?
“There is another matter too often neglected by those who seek the Lord in prayer. Have you been honest with God? By the prophet Malachi the Lord declares, “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:7, 8. COL 144.3
“As the Giver of every blessing, God claims a certain portion of all we possess. This is His provision to sustain the preaching of the gospel. And by making this return to God, we are to show our appreciation of His gifts. But if we withhold from Him that which is His own, how can we claim His blessing? If we are unfaithful stewards of earthly things, how can we expect Him to entrust us with the things of heaven? It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer. COL 144.4
“But the Lord in His great mercy is ready to forgive, and He says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, ... if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field.... And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:10-12. COL 144.5
“So it is with every other one of God's requirements. All His gifts are promised on condition of obedience. God has a heaven full of blessings for those who will co-operate with Him. All who obey Him may with confidence claim the fulfillment of His promises.” COL 145.1
These verses do not blame the individual members of the church for robbing the Lord, but the whole denomination, the “whole nation.” Moreover, you will note that the story of Malachi chapter three begins with chapter two. There you will note that the Lord addresses the ministry, not the laity, saying, “…O ye priests, this commandment is for you.” Mal. 2:1. Plainly, then, the trouble lies in the fact that though the laity as a rule pay faithful tithe and offerings God nevertheless is robbed because the Denomination is taking the tithes and at the same time is fighting rather than accepting and promulgating His message for today – the Judgment for the Living. His money is used to cheat His people from His Truth instead of enlightening them with It – keeping His people in darkness and deception, even barring them from investigating the message of the hour for themselves. What a charge!
Here is what God would have the laity do:
Verse 10 – “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
Where is one to look for God’s storehouse? – wherever God’s Truth is for today, from wherever “meat in due season” is dispensed.
The statement, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,” implies that some are already bringing into it, but not all. This, along with the charge that the whole nation is robbing God, positively shows that the tithes are now brought, not to God’s storehouse, but to some other house. To repeat, God’s storehouse has ever been and ever will be where “the message of the Hour” is, where “Present Truth” is, the house from which “meat in due season” is dispensed at the time the tithes are paid.
Thursday - January 12
Seek Ye First
Matthew 6:25-33, Isaiah 26:3, 1 John 1:9, 2 Chronicles 7:14
What was promised in Matthew 6:25-33, and what were the people to do in order to receive those promises?
“The people who listened to the words of Christ were still anxiously watching for some announcement of the earthly kingdom. While Jesus was opening to them the treasures of heaven, the question uppermost in many minds was, How will a connection with Him advance our prospects in the world? Jesus shows that in making the things of the world their supreme anxiety they were like the heathen nations about them, living as if there were no God, whose tender care is over His creatures. MB 98.2
“‘All these things,’ said Jesus, ‘do the nations of the world seek after.’ “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Luke 12:30; Matthew 6:32, 33. I have come to open to you the kingdom of love and righteousness and peace. Open your hearts to receive this kingdom, and make its service your highest interest. Though it is a spiritual kingdom, fear not that your needs for this life will be uncared-for. If you give yourself to God's service, He who has all power in heaven and earth will provide for your needs. MB 99.1
“Jesus does not release us from the necessity of effort, but He teaches that we are to make Him first and last and best in everything. We are to engage in no business, follow no pursuit, seek no pleasure, that would hinder the outworking of His righteousness in our character and life. Whatever we do is to be done heartily, as unto the Lord.” MB 99.2
Take no thought for the morrow, for it will take care of itself – why cross bridges before you come to them? Why worry how you are to fill up your stomachs and with what you are to cover your bodies tomorrow if they are cared for this day? Why worry about your own needs, why not worry how to advance the Kingdom of God? Putting in overtime to make tents or cobble shoes for a living is all right if you do not say, “I will do this and the other and get money to buy and build this or that.” You should instead say, “If God permits, I will do this or that, so that I may get here or get there, do this and the other for the advancement of His cause.” Whatever the aim behind your act it must be for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Why not make your chief interest His business? Why not the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, so that “all these things be added unto you”? Why work to feed yourself? Why not work for God and let Him feed and clothe you? He is far more capable of providing for you than you will ever be. Why not let Him take charge of your work, of your home, of your body?
While you do His bidding, He will never fail you. Why not do this and be an altogether Christian? Why be a Christian in name, but a Gentile in heart and faith? Work no longer for self, work for God and be free of worry, free of having to make your own living in your own way. The fishermen of Galilee while fishing in their own way failed, but when they cast the net where Jesus said they should cast it, it was instantly filled with fish.
Know first that God is not interested in your selfish business, but in you and His saving business. There is therefore no need of you serving mammon (self), and at the same time expecting His blessing on mammon’s interests. No man even in the world can work for his own interest and still expect his firm to promote him, or keep him at any post of duty. No employer hires persons because he wants his employee to make a living, but only because he wants his own business cared for. Know that God’s business is of greater importance and of further-reaching consequences than any man’s business, and that God is more particular than any man ever was or ever will be.
Matt. 11:28-30 – “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
Always remember that God has not called you to your post of duty in order to feed you or to make you rich, but to save you and to save others through you. Therefore, whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. Then and then only will He provide “all these things,” the things God sees fit to give. He will see that you earn your needs one way or another. Nothing less than the faith of Noah, of Job, and of Daniel will pay the bill, Brother, Sister, because anything short of this is an insult to God. It is the same as to call Him a deceiver. Doubt in the promises of God completely robs the doubter of all God’s blessings and promises. Only when you learn to trust Him will He be to you “as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Isa. 32:2.
“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This promise held good in David’s time, and it will hold good now:
Friday - January 13
Further Study
Ps. 4:5 – “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.”
By personal experience David knew God’s faithfulness: Having done all that was to be done in serving God, he was confident that when the bear and the lion came to devour his lambs, God would deliver him if he did all he could to spare them.
Moreover, believing that God had promised the kingdom to him, and having been anointed to be king over God’s people, David doubted nothing. Recognizing his duty, he fearlessly went after the giant Goliath who was defying God and His Kingdom, and he was confident that the giant could not harm him. By faith he freed his people from the power of the giant. By faith he overcame the lion and the bear, and saved the lambs. By faith he knew that Saul could not take his life, nor deprive him of the throne
No, there is neither beast nor man that can take your life or cheat you of promotion if you do God’s bidding, if you know that He Who keepeth Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers (Ps. 121:3, 4); that He knows all about you, my friends, every moment of the day and of the night; that He takes notice even of the hairs that fall from your heads; that whatever befalls you is but God’s own will for your own good. I say, if you know and believe that He is God and the Keeper of your bodies and souls, then regardless what befalls you, you will be happy in it and give God the credit for it, not murmuring, but glorying even in your trials and afflictions.
Isa. 26:4 – “Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”
If you wholeheartedly trust in God, and if the world should fall into space and collide with the stars, you shall happily fly along with God.
Let us now turn to 2 Corinthians, the first chapter, and see what Paul knew by experience about God’s care over him:
2 Cor. 1:8, 9 – “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.”
Paul learned by personal experience that it is futile to trust in man and self, but that it pays high to trust in God, that He alone is able to protect and keep both body and soul.
Psa. 127:1 – “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”