Daily Lesson for Sunday 10th of November 2024

Jesus was not shy in declaring who He was, nor in calling on witnesses to testify to who He was, even witnesses who were long gone, including Abraham. “ ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad’ ” (John 8:56, NKJV).

Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com

“Through type and promise God ‘preached before the gospel unto Abraham.’ Galatians 3:8. And the patriarch’s faith was fixed upon the Redeemer to come. Said Christ to the Jews, ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see My day; and he saw it, and was glad.’ John 8:56, R.V., margin. The ram offered in place of Isaac represented the Son of God, who was to be sacrificed in our stead. When man was doomed to death by transgression of the law of God, the Father, looking upon His Son, said to the sinner, ‘Live: I have found a ransom.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 154.

Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation. He received the promise that, through him, all nations would be blessed. This blessing came through the Messiah, born through his lineage.

Abraham was also the father of those who respond to God in faith (Hebrews 11:8,17-19). His willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-24), the son of promise, was not only an evidence of faith but a window into the plan of salvation.

When Jesus said, “ ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day’ ” (John 8:56, NKJV), the leaders responded, “ ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ ” (John 8:57, NKJV).

Jesus’ answer was astounding. “ ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM’ ” (John 8:58, NKJV).

Jesus uses language reminiscent of what God said to Moses at the burning bush. This was a claim to be God, the self-existent One. No question, the leaders understood the implication of what He said because they then “took up stones to throw at Him” (John 8:59, NKJV).

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-07-harking-back-to-abraham/

Daily Lesson for Sabbath 9th of November 2024

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study: John 8:54-58, Genesis 12:3, Romans 4:1-5, John 12:1-8, John 19:4-22, John 20:19-31, Daniel 2:1-49, Daniel 7:1-28.

Memory Text:

“Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’ ” (John 20:29, NKJV).

Throughout his Gospel, John has a diversity of people—people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences—all testifying to who Jesus was.

“ ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ ” (John 1:36, NKJV). “ ‘We have found the Messiah’ ” (John 1:41, NKJV). “ ‘We have found Him of whom Moses . . . wrote’ ” (John 1:45, NKJV). “ ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ ” (John 1:49, NKJV). “ ‘Could this be the Christ?’ ” (John 4:29, NKJV). “ ‘We ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world’ ” (John 4:42, NKJV). “ ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’ ” (John 6:68, NKJV). “ ‘I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world’ ” (John 11:27, NKJV). “ ‘Though I was blind, now I see’ ” (John 9:25, NKJV). “ ‘Behold your King!’ ” (John 19:14, NKJV). “ ‘I find no fault in Him’ ” (John 19:6, NKJV). “ ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28, NKJV).

Who were some of these people, and why did they testify as they did to the identity of Jesus?

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 16.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-07-blessed-are-those-who-believe/

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The Mission program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is an opportunity for us to understand the needs of others and share in supporting them. Please click on the image below to watch the Mission Spotlight presentation for this week:

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Join the Hit the Mark panel as they discuss Sabbath School Lesson 7 – More Testimonies About Jesus. It’s the fastest hour of the week!

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/more-testimonies-about-jesus-hit-the-mark-sabbath-school/

Inside Story for Friday 8th of November 2024

By Andrew McChesney

For four years, Donaldo Velasquez visited a Colombian prison every Friday to preach about Jesus. But one Friday, he couldn’t go. He worked as a carpenter, and a client urgently needed his help. Moreover, Donaldo needed the money.

Only four Seventh-day Adventists—Donaldo, two other church members, and their pastor—had permission to visit the prison in Acacias, and Donaldo called them for help. “No, I’m too busy,” Ranses said. Pedro also said he couldn’t go. The pastor apologized, saying he was out of town.

Image © Pacific Press

Donaldo wept and prayed. When his wife, Jesusita, asked what was wrong, he explained that he didn’t want to skip the meeting with the inmates but he needed to work. “Go, do your job,” Jesusita said. “God will provide.”

The next time Donaldo visited the prison, 38 inmates came to hear him preach. He was accompanied by another church member, Pedro.

“Where is the man who came last time?” an inmate asked.

“We didn’t send anyone,” Donaldo replied.

“Yes, you did,” said another inmate. “A man preached to us.”

“No, we didn’t send anyone,” Donaldo said, and he suggested that perhaps the preacher had belonged to another denomination.

“No, no,” the inmates said. “We know everyone who has permission to visit. This man has never visited before, and he wasn’t from another church.”

Donaldo asked about the man’s sermon, hoping for a clue to his identity. The inmates said he had spoken about the seventh-day Sabbath.

Amazed, Donaldo asked, “What did he look like?”

The inmates described him as a tall, well-dressed man wearing a white shirt. They said he knew the Bible so well that he probably was a teacher.

Pedro touched Donaldo’s arm. “An angel must have come and preached to them,” he said. “That’s the only explanation.”

Donaldo, however, wasn’t convinced. He went to the prison guard who registered visitors. The guard, a friend of Donaldo’s, looked through the computer log and shook his head. “No one came that day,” he said.

Astonished, Donaldo exclaimed, “Now I have no doubt that the angel of the Lord came to teach the Bible in my place!”

Returning to the inmates, he informed them that they must have seen an angel.

Six years have passed, and nearly all 38 inmates have given their hearts to Jesus in baptism. Donaldo said he won’t ever forget that day.

“Even though it is an incredible story, I believe God sent His heavenly messenger,” he said.

Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering that helped two mission projects in Colombia last quarter.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-06-inside-story-we-didn-t-send-anyone/