Sabbath Afternoon, August 19
Memory Text:
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. KJV — Ephesians 5:15-17
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.
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…
Sunday, August 20
“Instead Let There Be Thanksgiving”
In what sense does Paul intend believers to be “imitators of God”? See Ephesians 5:1, 2
Zech. 12:8 – “In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.”
Now, that we might know what it means to be “as God,” we must study what God is like. At the outset He did not only create and abundantly fill the earth with every good thing for His creatures, but He also planted a garden (home) for the man. Thus He made a model home for all human beings who were to live thereafter. He taught Adam how to keep the home and how to dress the garden. He taught him to speak and to discern the nature between one beast and another, to name them accordingly. God endowed man with knowledge and life in order to make him happy, and useful in making the world what it ought to be. Even after the holy pair fell in sin God was still interestedin them as He was before – so much so, in fact, that He immediately began to teach them how to redeem themselves, and to return to their eternal home. From that day to this He thus continued to teach the human family.
To do this saving work God sent down the Spirit of Truth, He sent prophets and angels, also His only Son – all teachers of redemption. He Himself descended to Sinai and even though they slew nearly all His servants including His son, yet His unfailing interest in the human race has continued on to this very day. Not withstanding our faults, His promise to take us back into Eden there to live with Him if we repent, still stands as sure as does the sun.
Now you see what God is like, and if we are to be “as God,” then that is what we, too, must be like. That means that we must be as interested in one another and in the upbuilding of His Kingdom as He is interested. We are to be as unselfish as He is. We must gladly teach others all that He has taught us. We are to do all we can to improve the living conditions of others. We are to make the world better than it could be if we were not in it. In creation week God did His part. Now we are to do our part of creation if we are to be as God.
Whatever good thing we may have, be it a trade or some other gift that is worth having we are to be as faithful in it and as anxious to teach it to others as He is faithful and anxious to teach us. If we neglect this duty, we shall not only fail to be as God, but shall even be required to give account of our neglect.
The Lord taught the birds how to live and how to build nests, and how to raise their young. Then should we not help others to build and to better their homes and living? You recall Jesus saying, “Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Matt. 10:42.
Were God not what He is, He would not be God; and if we continue as we ever were we shall never be “as God.”
Monday, August 21
Walking as Children of Light
“He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness sheds light into the mind of every one who will properly behold Him, loving Him supremely, showing unswerving faith and trust in Him. His light shines into the chambers of the mind and into the soul temple. The heart is filled with the light of the knowledge of the glory that shines in the face of Jesus Christ. And with this light comes spiritual discernment.... OFC 265.2
“Yielding willingly to the evidence of truth, and walking in the light that shines in our pathway, we receive still greater light. Through the power of the manifestation of divine glory, we constantly advance in spiritual understanding. OFC 265.3
“Christ's knowledge of truth was direct, positive, without a shadow. The closer the acquaintance a man has with Jesus Christ, the more careful he will be to treat his fellow men respectfully, courteously, righteously. He has learned of Christ, and he follows His example in word and action. By faith he is united with Christ. “We are labourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9).... OFC 265.4
“Christ's prayer was for unity among His followers. This unity is the evidence that is to convince the world that God sent His Son to save sinners. We serve Christ by revealing true, pure, holy love for one another. Those who are chosen to connect with the Lord's institutions are to be devoted, self-denying, self-sacrificing men, living not to please themselves, but to please the Master. These are the men who will do honor to the Lord's institutions. OFC 265.5
“A knowledge of God and of Christ is positively essential to salvation. We lose much every day that we do not learn more of the meekness and lowliness of Christ. Those who learn of Christ obtain the very highest class of education. Through faith and dependence on the saving grace of Christ, they increase in knowledge and wisdom. They love and praise the Saviour....” OFC 265.6
The wrath of God, as commonly understood, is the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1), and is visited during the period between the close of probation and the second coming of Christ...
Why does Paul encourage believers not to become “partners” or “partakers” with sinners? Eph. 5:7-10
“Human inventions please the carnal mind, and pacify the conscience as it clings to sin. It was not palatable to men to see and practice the faith that works by love and sanctifies the soul. Sin was not forsaken and despised, and in order to excuse it a means had to be devised by which the edge of the sword of truth might be blunted; so men brought in human reasonings and assertions. If men had permitted the word of God to do its work upon the heart and intellect, they would have distinguished and separated the spurious from the true. If they had received the Scriptures in their simplicity, they would not have given themselves up to worldly pursuits, to fulfilling their temporal hopes. But they made of none effect the word of God through their traditions, and wrested the Scripture from its true meaning. The Lord says that the word of truth is able to make men wise unto salvation. It is a safeguard and shield, and protects men from the delusions of the enemy. ‘Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light; for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.’” ST June 4, 1894, par. 4
Tuesday, August 22
“Awake, O Sleeper”
Read Ephesians 5:11-14. What powerful warning is Paul giving here and how does this apply to our present situation?
Isa. 60:1 – “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
A black, dirty object never reflects, it consumes all the light to itself. The moon shines because its surface is of white substance. If it were made of black substance it could not reflect any light whatever. The same is true with spiritual light: If we are eager to shine, we must now arise and clean up, put away our black, filthy garments – take an active part in this revival and reformation under the supervision of the Holy Spirit. Stupidity, fanaticism, and indifference must be abandoned and Divine thinking put in action, so commands the Lord:
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isa. 55:7-11.
We must clean up our thoughts, our ways, our bodies, our clothes, our homes inside and out. Cleanliness is Godliness; God’s government is law and order, peace and righteousness, joy and contentment. Thus we need to be polished by the Spirit of God, be altogether Christians if we are to “shine,” if we are ever to reflect the Word of God to those who sit in darkness. If you have taken care of all the things the message teaches, then as your supreme duty and Divine privilege, take what Inspiration says: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Those who are now sitting down as dark objects, consuming light to themselves, should now embrace the opportunity and welcome the privilege. Today is your opportunity.
Verse 2 – “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.”
The word “behold” connotes that if you look, you can see the signs of darkness already hovering about you. “Gross darkness” means that the people will be at a complete loss to know which way to turn, that they will be entirely confused and perplexed. Now is our opportunity to respond to the Lord’s call and to get ready to meet the situation. We should now fully realize that we are in reality called to be the light to the Denomination, and ultimately to the world. Wonderful indeed that we should be the chosen ones from among the great masses of the world! You cannot afford to miss on this privilege. Act now.
Verse 3 – “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”
We are now the most obscure people in the world, but the day is already here in which we shall be best known. Here is the sure promise that if we now arise from sitting down and make the effort to reach God’s set goal for us, the result shall be that the Gentiles shall come to our light and the kings to the brightness of our rising. This is the acceptable day for you.
Wednesday, August 23
Snapping up the Bargains
Consider Paul’s exhortations to live in a way that reflects prayerful, discerning wisdom (Eph. 5:15-17). What is the difference between walking not as fools but “wise”? Also, what does “redeeming the time” mean?
“These messages, written with a power not of man but of God, contain lessons which should be studied by all and which may with profit be often repeated. In them practical godliness is outlined, principles are laid down that should be followed in every church, and the way that leads to life eternal is made plain.” AA 470.2
“But few of the youth understand what it is to be Christians, to be Christ-like. A prayerful study of the word of God is necessary if they would conform their lives to the perfect Pattern. Few experience that separation from the world which God requires of them in order to become members of his family, children of the heavenly King. ‘Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.’” RH March 11, 1880, par. 25
“How To Turn Wasted Time Into Good Use”
You are aware of the fact that we are given a great work and that the time in which to do it is very short; that we should therefore, learn how to turn wasted time into good use. Someone has said that on the average, more than half of mens’ life and energy are wasted on useless talking and in policing others. One of our greatest needs therefore, is that we learn to control our tongues and to keep our noses out of other people’s business in order to conserve time and energy, peace and integrity.
It is well to remember too, that our tongues are given to us for the purpose of speaking God’s Truth and His praise, and our energies to proclaim His Truth and to bless His people. Let us be talking of and working for these heaven born principles. If you accidently happen to see or to hear that someone is doing something that according to your best judgment is not proper for a Christian to do, and if you think you can help him, then do not make of yourself a tale-bearer by telling it to anyone but rather plead with the guilty one.
Do not make yourself a criterion for any either, and do not force your ideas on anyone but on yourselves. It is no one’s duty to police another. Understand that no one is in debt to bring his life to anyone’s standards and maximums. Hear what Inspiration says: “Who are thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Rom. 14:4) but since you are not able to, then why try!
Do not make enemies by your tongues. Make friends. And do not have your feelings on your finger tips. If you do, you yourself will feel the loss of friends, of social joy, and of the opportunity and privilege to win souls to Christ. Do not end the day with no credit to be recorded on your page of Heaven’s ledger. Do not misinterpret other peoples’ motives either. Try to see and interpret everything in the right way, give everyone a chance. See the good in everyone and close your eyes to all evil.
Let your conversation be on the subject of promoting God’s Truth for the day. It will keep you busy talking of something profitable and commendable. Think and study, and when you talk religion, by all means do not become a bore. Go on with your talk only as far as your listeners follow you – “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matt. 7:6.
Tongues are hard to control, and ears always anxious to hear. It will therefore be better if you do less visiting. Much visiting is only a waste of time and a temptation to discuss the motes in the eyes of others and to overlook the beam that is in your own eye.
Whenever you are by yourself you can get something done. You can then either work or study. But when you get together with others, the chances are that you get nothing done but harm to yourself and to others. Now is the time to study and to learn the Truth for this time, to find out how to give a study and how to answer questions in a simple way, without having to go into a lot of history or biography. And if you are determined to walk with God daily and to study His will concerning your own duties, not the duties of others, you will find plenty to keep you busy and out of mischief.
Thursday, August 24
Spirit-Filled Worship
In Ephesians 5:18-20, Paul imagines Christians gathered to worship. What does he depict them as doing in that worship?
“God is glorified by songs of praise from a pure heart filled with love and devotion to Him. When consecrated believers assemble, their conversation will not be upon the imperfections of others or savor of murmuring or complaint; charity, or love, the bond of perfectness, will encircle them. Love to God and their fellow men flows out naturally in words of affection, sympathy, and esteem for their brethren. The peace of God rules in their hearts; their words are not vain, empty, and frivolous, but to the comfort and edification of one another...” 1T 509.2
“Our Saviour was deeply serious and intensely in earnest, but never gloomy or morose. The lives of those who imitate him will be full of earnest purpose; they will have a deep sense of personal responsibility. Levity will be repressed; there will be no boisterous merriment, no rude jesting or joking. But the religion of Jesus gives peace like a river. It does not quench the light of joy; it does not restrain cheerfulness, nor cloud the sunny, smiling face. Our lives should breathe the fragrance of Heaven, while we obey the injunction of the apostle,—'Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.’ ST March 5, 1885, par. 10
“The soul is exalted and transformed by dwelling, not on self and on the sorrows and hardships that surround us, but on the glories of the eternal world. Unbroken communion with God gives increased knowledge of his truth and will, and of the soul's susceptibilities and powers; and the result will be unselfish motives and right traits of character. There will be no darkness or gloom to reflect to others. More of Heaven in men on earth would make religion attractive, and win souls to Christ.” ST March 5, 1885, par. 11
Friday, August 25
Further Thought
Deut. 30:15, 19 – “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil:… I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
If we fail to profit by what God tells us we shall fail as badly as, if not worse, as any who have failed before us. I think some of you who have had personal contact with God, know these things through experiences of your own. Doubtless you have found that you cannot long prevent explosion while keeping fire and gunpowder in the same room; that you cannot serve the Devil and yet have peace and security…
Only God knows the future, and we should place our hopes and ambitions in His mighty hand. Then, and then only, will we come to the “top.” And if we are tempted to say we will or will not do this or that, then let us remember Jonah: He said he would not bear a message to Nineveh, and straightway took a boat for Tarshish. But the boatmen threw him overboard and the great fish picked him up and brought him right back to the place whence he was trying to run away.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, thought to perpetuate his kingdom by ordering all his subjects to bow down to his golden image. The three Hebrews, though, defied his purpose and changed the course of history. The men who threw the Hebrews into the fiery furnace were themselves burned to death, but not a hair of the Hebrews’ heads was singed all the time they remained inside the fiery furnace. Let us with the Psalmist lift up our voices and say:
Psalms 8:1-6 – “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the Son of man, that Thou visitest Him? For Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned Him with glory and honour. Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet.”