Inside Story for Friday 5th of July 2024

By Andrew McChesney

Father was the most prominent person in his small town in Nepal. Everyone sought his help. Townspeople believed that his animal sacrifices could cure any disease. Father came from a long line of shamans, and he became the shaman after the death of his father, who also was a shaman.

Image © Pacific Press

Father believed that his rituals wielded great power in the spirit world, so he was puzzled when he couldn’t help the person whom he loved most— his wife. He couldn’t cure her or even diagnose her illness. He sacrificed a chicken, but her pain remained. He gave money to another shaman, but she lost weight. He took her to a physician, but she grew weaker.

Father’s bewilderment grew when his adult daughter, Divya, returned home to help her mother. He came home one day and couldn’t find Mother or Divya. Searching the house, he finally found them in an upstairs room, kneeling on the floor and talking to someone he couldn’t see.

Father was astonished. He suspected something was terribly wrong. But he quietly slipped out of the room so as to not disturb them. He wondered whether his daughter had secretly become a shaman like him.

When he saw Divya later, he asked what she and Mother had been doing.

“We were praying to my God to heal Mother,” Divya said.

“Which God?” Father asked. He worshiped many gods.

“To my God, Jesus,” she said. “I have left our family religion. I have found a new God in Jesus.” She explained that her God created the heavens and the earth. “If I pray, He will hear and heal Mother,” she said.

Father didn’t believe it. He didn’t see how this God could be any more powerful than any of the family gods.

When Divya needed to return to her home in another town, she asked to take Mother with her. “She is sick, and you don’t have time to take care of her because you are working,” she said. “I’ll take her with me.”

Father, who worked both as a shaman and a construction worker, agreed. He was unable to help Mother, and he doubted that she would last long.

“She is your mother,” he said. “If she dies, let me know.”

Six months passed before Father saw Mother again. He traveled to Divya’s house and was surprised to find Mother healthy. He was full of questions.

“Why is Mother well?” he asked. “What medicine did you give her?”

Divya replied that she had only prayed to God. “God heard my request,” she said. “Now Mother is well and happy and goes to church with me.”

Father didn’t believe it. He laughed. He had never heard of such a God who healed without an animal sacrifice or another ritual.

This mission story illustrates Mission Objective No. 2 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan, “To strengthen and diversify Adventist outreach . . . among unreached and under-reached people groups.” For more information, go to the website: IWillGo2020.org.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-01-inside-story-bewildered-shaman-part-1/

Daily Lesson for Friday 5th of July 2024

Read Ellen G. White, “The Voice in the Wilderness,” pages 97–108, in The Desire of Ages; and “Heralds of the Gospel,” pages 166–176, in The Acts of the Apostles.

How fascinating that Revelation 14:1-20:6-7, the first angel’s message, parallels the gospel message of Jesus in Mark 1:15.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

The first angel brings the everlasting gospel to the world in the last days in preparation for the Second Coming. Just like the message of Jesus, the angel’s end-time gospel has the same three elements as illustrated in the table below:

The first angel’s message announces the beginning of the pre-Advent judgment, which began in 1844 and was predicted in the 2,300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14. The judgment brings the kingdom of God to His persecuted people (Daniel 7:22). The first angel’s call to fear, glorify, and worship God is the call to discipleship, issued to the world in the last days as the beast powers of Revelation 13:1-18 present a false god to fear, glorify, and worship.

Just as Jesus’ message in Mark 1:1-15 is intimately tied to the prophecies of Daniel at the beginning of the gospel proclamation, so the first angel’s message is as well tied to Daniel at the close of earth’s history.

Discussion Questions

1. Compare and contrast John the Baptist and Jesus in Mark 1:1–13. What special lessons do you learn from the way they are presented?
2. Consider the meaning of baptism. Read Romans 6:1-4 and John 3:1-8, and compare them with the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9–13. What parallels and contrasts do you see? How does this help you understand more clearly the meaning of baptism?
3. Compare and contrast the gospel according to Jesus in Mark 1:14, 15 and the first angel’s message in Revelation 14:6, 7. How does understanding these messages help you see better your mission for today?

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-01-further-thought-the-beginning-of-the-gospel/

As we are taking a look at the baptism of Jesus in this week’s lesson, let’s also look at baptism in light of the cross. 

Brief overview:

By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings. (Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 16:30-33; 22:16; 2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20.)

Why it is important to understand the truth about baptism:

The Bible only teaches one form of baptism. See Ephesians 4:5. We get the word “baptism” from the Greek word, baptizo which means, to immerse. To be immersed you must go into the water all the way.

Why it is important to understand baptism in light of the cross:

Romans 6 tells us the reason there is only one form of baptism. Baptism is where we are crucified with Christ and die to self. In Baptism we are giving all of ourselves to Jesus because He loved and gave all of Himself for us. When we go under the water we stop breathing for a moment. That is symbolic of our death to self. When we come up out of the water, we take a new breath and that new breath represents the new life that we are now living for Jesus.

Further Study on Baptism

How essential is baptism?

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. John 3:5 NLT

How many types of baptism does God recognize?

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism Ephesians 4:5 NLT

How was Jesus baptized?

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”Matthew 3:13-17 NLT

Why did John baptize there?

At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. John 3:23 NLT

How did Philip baptize the Ethiopian?

He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. Acts 8:38 NLT

What must precede baptism?

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

Note: Discipling or mentoring and teaching takes place before and after baptism.

What else must take place?

Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16 NLT

What must follow belief?

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:37-38 NLT

What does baptism symbolize?

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:3-6 NLT

Here we see that baptism is the Biblical memorial to the resurrection and not Sunday worship. 

Who now lives in us?

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT

What are we declared to be?

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Galatians 3:26-29 NLT

For what reason might one be re-baptized?

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:1-5 NLT

Why wait?

What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:16 NLT

If you are considering baptism. I encourage you to reach out to your local elder or pastor today! You may also reach out to me here or at wi***************@fl***************.com 

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/baptism-in-light-of-the-cross/

Join the Hit the Mark panel as they discuss Lesson 1 – The Beginning of the Gospel. It’s the fastest hour of the week!

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/the-beginning-of-the-gospel-hit-the-mark-sabbath-school/

Daily Lesson for Thursday 4th of July 2024

Mark summarizes here the simple and direct message of Jesus. Its three parts are illustrated in the following table:

The time prophecy to which Jesus refers is the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. This prophecy finds fulfillment in the baptism of Jesus, where He is anointed with the Holy Spirit and begins His ministry (Acts 10:38). The amazing 70-week prophecy is illustrated in the following chart:

In this prophecy, one day stands for one year (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6). The prophecy began in 457 B.C. with the decree issued by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, completing the work of restoring Jerusalem (see Ezra 7:1-28).

Sixty-nine prophetic weeks would extend to A.D. 27, the time when Jesus was baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit at the commencement of His ministry.

His crucifixion would take place three and a half years later.

Finally, the completion of the seventieth week would occur in A.D. 34 when Stephen was stoned and the gospel message started going to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-01-the-gospel-according-to-jesus/