Daily Lesson for Sabbath 1st of June 2024

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study

Matthew 10:28; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Isaiah 8:19-20; John 11:11-14,21-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 16:13-14; Matthew 24:23-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

Memory Text:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NKJV).

Decades ago, stories surfaced about near death experiences (NDEs), in which people who died and were then revived gave incredible accounts of what they had seen and heard while “dead.” Millions now believe that these accounts are evidence that the dead are not really dead. This foundational belief of spiritualism is one of Satan’s most widespread and effective deceptions.

In fact, spiritualism began back in Eden with the serpent’s lie to Eve, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4, NKJV). This idea also lay at the root of one of the greatest spurious religious movements of the nineteenth century with the Fox sisters’ claim, later admitted to be fraudulent, that they could receive answers to their questions from spirits of the dead.

The aim of this lesson is to show that our only safeguard against Satan’s last-day delusions is a personal relationship with Christ and a solid grounding in the teachings of the Bible. This includes its teaching about death, regardless of what our eyes and ears and hearts might try to tell us.

*Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 31–34 of The Great Controversy, to prepare for Sabbath, June 8.

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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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Inside Story for Friday 31st of May 2024

By Andrew McChesney

After two young refugees gave their hearts to Jesus in a European city, they began to plead with their mother to consider Jesus.

“Mother, don’t you want to be saved?” asked 20-year-old Rosen.

His mother, Aneliya, erupted like a volcano. “I will never leave my religion!” she yelled, pounding on a table. “I’ll keep my religion until I die!”

Her 22-year-old son, Sergei, spoke about how Jesus was crucified for people’s sins and resurrected on the third day.

“It’s impossible that He was resurrected,” Aneliya said.

“If you believe in Jesus, and die, you also will be resurrected,” Sergei said.

One day, he read John 3:36 to his mother: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (NKJV). “We die,” he said to his mother, “but when Jesus returns, we will be raised from the graves.”

“My son, how will we be raised from the graves?” she asked.

“We will live again,” he said.

It was a big question for Aneliya. It was the biggest question on her mind. How was it possible to be resurrected and live forever?

As she listened to her sons, Bible verses that had once confused her began to make sense. She began to understand what Paul, the man who had first invited the family to church, had read to them from the Bible and what she had heard about Jesus during her first church visit. Joy filled her heart. Aneliya later understood that the Holy Spirit had entered her heart. Soon Aneliya acknowledged Jesus as her Savior. When she did that, a desire filled her to spend time with Him and to attend worship services at church.

Then her 15-year-old daughter was baptized. Aneliya had skipped the baptisms of her two sons, but she went to her daughter’s baptism. She congratulated her afterward. “Mother, your turn is next,” her daughter said.

Sergei gave Bible studies to his mother, and she also studied the Bible on her own. A thirst grew in her heart to live for Christ. Then the day came, when she was 47, that she gave her heart to Jesus in baptism. “It was with great joy,” she said in an interview. “I cannot describe my joy. It was the first time in forty-seven years that I had such joy. I believed and accepted Jesus Christ.”

Today, Aneliya is 48 and a missionary to her people. Her husband has accepted the Bible, and even his parents back in their native country are keeping the Sabbath. Aneliya also gives Bible studies to her community.

“Once I had wanted to run away from church, but now a desire has filled me to run to church,” she said. “The Holy Spirit brought me to God.”

Thank you for your support of Adventist Mission, whose Global Mission Centers help train people to share the good news of salvation with precious people from other world religions. For more information, visit globalmissioncenters.org.

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Daily Lesson for Friday 31st of May 2024

“In the absence of Bible testimony in their favor, many with unwearying persistence urged—forgetting how the same reasoning had been employed against Christ and His apostles: ‘Why do not our great men understand this Sabbath question? But few believe as you do. It cannot be that you are right and that all the men of learning in the world are wrong.’

“To refute such arguments it was needful only to cite the teachings of the Scriptures and the history of the Lord’s dealings with His people in all ages.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 455

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—‘the mark of the beast.’ And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive ‘the mark of the beast.’ ”—The Great Controversy, p. 449.

Discussion Questions

1. The world is changing so quickly, so dramatically. Why must we always be vigilant so that last-day events don’t catch us unprepared?
2. How does an understanding of the judgment and the law of God harmonize with the fact that we are saved by grace alone?
3. What are ways you can witness to those who don’t grasp the significance of the true Sabbath and sincerely keep Sunday, the first day of the week?
4. What dangers lie in the union of church and state powers? How as Christians are we to relate to the government?

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Key Thought : As we see the heavenly sanctuary and judgment day, we realize the significance of God’s law and the Sabbath in the heart of God’s law.
June 1, 2024

1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:17,18; Eccl 12:13,14; I John 5:3.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What is the relationship between God’s law and His character?
3. Personal Application: What reasons do you have for wanting to keep God’s commandments? Are you trying to do the impossible? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “We don’t have to keep the commandments anymore. We are under grace, not under the law. If you are trying to obey the law, you are a legalist.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Revelation 14:6,7; 4:11, Genewsis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How does the Sabbath like the Creation story and the law of God together?
3. Personal Application: How is the Sabbath a symbol of redemption and righteousness by faith? Share your thoughts.(Note: See Ezekiel 20:12 and 20:20.)
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why do you keep the Old Jewish Sabbath? Don’t you know the old covenant has been done away with and we are under the new covenant of grace? The Sabbath was a shadow that Jesus eclipsed with His resurrection on Sunday.” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Revelation 12:12,17; 13:7; 14:7,9-11.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Why is Satan so angry with God’s end-time people?
3. Personal Application: What key theme occurs in all these verses? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “The world seems to be dramatically changing. How can we be vigilant so that these events don’t catch us unprepared?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Revelation 14:12.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What are the two identifying characteristics of those who refuse to worship the beast? Why are both important?
3. Personal Application: How is God preparing your faith today for what is coming in the future? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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