Inside Story for Friday 23rd of February 2024

By Andrew McChesney

Two weeks after Sekule’s baptism, the Bosnian War erupted. Sekule fled his boarding high school in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and went into hiding for 15 days.

When he returned to the dormitory to retrieve his possessions, he found the building had been torched by soldiers. A small library of religious books that he had collected while seeking to find truth had been dumped in the middle of his room and set on fire. He had lost everything. He returned to his home village in Montenegro.

News that Sekule had joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church did not sit well with his family. Father could not understand why he had stopped eating meat and took him to a physician. Mother thought a spell had been cast on her son and sought help from someone who practiced black magic. When their attempts failed, they sent Sekule to the military. It was 1992, and the Bosnian War was raging. To enlist a son was to send him to war.

In those days, families threw big celebrations for newly enlisted soldiers. Sekule’s parents planned his party for a Sabbath in December. Two hundred guests were expected. But Sekule went to church.

When the winter sun set around 4 p.m., he returned home. He didn’t know what to expect. He thought that the house would be filled with relatives from across the country and beyond. He thought he would face criticism for not only arriving late to his own party but also for showing disrespect as the eldest grandson.

He found his grandfather on the front porch.

“Did the people come?” Sekule asked.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“No one knows why.”

Then people started coming. Sekule asked them, “Why are you coming now?”

They all replied in the same way: “Somebody told us to come after 5 p.m.”

“Who told you?” Sekule asked.

No one knew.

At that moment, Sekule understood that God would protect him. He went to the military.

Sekule Sekuli´c is an affluent entrepreneur and faithful Seventh-day Adventist in Montenegro. Read more of his story next week. Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the good news of Jesus’ soon coming in Montenegro and around the world.

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The post Inside Story: Sabbath Farewell Party: Part 4 appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24a-08-inside-story-sabbath-farewell-party-part-4/

Daily Lesson for Friday 23rd of February 2024

In these modern times, obtaining wisdom seems not to be so desirable as achieving happiness. People would rather be happy than wise. However, can we truly be happy and live a fulfilled life without godly wisdom? The Psalms clearly say that we cannot. The good news is that we are not asked to choose between wisdom and happiness. Godly wisdom brings genuine happiness.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

A simple example from the Hebrew language can illustrate this point. In Hebrew, the word “step” in plural (’ashurey) sounds very much like the word “happiness” (’ashrey). Although we miss this association in English translations, it conveys a powerful message: “steps” holding to God’s path lead to a “happy” life (Psalms 1:1, Psalms 17:5, Psalms 37:31, Psalms 44:18, Psalms 89:15, Psalms 119:1). In the Bible, neither wisdom nor happiness are an abstract concept, but a real experience.

They are found in relationship with God, which consists of revering, praising, finding strength in, and trusting God. Psalms 25:14 says that “the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (NKJV).

“Thank God for the bright pictures which He has presented to us. Let us group together the blessed assurances of His love, that we may look upon them continually: The Son of God leaving His Father’s throne, clothing His divinity with humanity, that He might rescue man from the power of Satan; His triumph in our behalf, opening heaven to men, revealing to human vision the presence chamber where the Deity unveils His glory; the fallen race uplifted from the pit of ruin into which sin had plunged it, and brought again into connection with the infinite God, and having endured the divine test through faith in our Redeemer, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and exalted to His throne—these are the pictures which God would have us contemplate.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 118.

Discussion Questions

1. How can God’s Word become the source of one’s delight and not merely instruction? How is feeding on God’s Word related to abiding in Jesus Christ, the Word (John 1:1; John 15:5,7)?
2. What happens when people consciously and constantly reject God’s teaching (Psalms 81:1-16, Psalms 95:1-11)? Why do you think that happens?
3. Why can the way of the wicked sometimes appear more desirable than the counsel of the righteous (Psalms 141:1-10)? That is, how do we deal with the apparent fact that oftentimes the wicked seem to be doing very well?

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The post Friday: Further Thought – Wisdom for Righteous Living appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24a-08-further-thought-wisdom-for-righteous-living/