Sharing Living Water

By David Maldonado

Antonio Maldonado didn’t know much English, so he motioned to an interpreter at the reception at the U.S. White House in Washington.

Antonio, a member of a mining delegation visiting from Peru, saw that the guests were being served fine whiskey, but he simply wanted a glass of pure water to raise for the toast with President Lyndon B. Johnson. Speaking through the interpreter, he politely voiced his desire to a waiter.

Image © Pacific Press

It was a difficult request to make. Everyone seemed to be holding glasses of whiskey, and Antonio didn’t want to make a scene. He didn’t want to embarrass fellow delegates as they wrapped up trade U.S. talks. But as a young man, he had made a commitment never to drink after seeing the ruin that alcohol brought to homes in Peru. Two years earlier, in 1963, he had given his heart to Jesus after hearing Voice of Prophecy radio broadcasts.

While Antonio spoke softly with the White House waiter, a pair of eyes watched him. Those eyes followed the waiter as he brought Antonio a glass of water. As Antonio accepted the water, he heard a voice speak.

“Waiter, wait,” the voice said. “What did the gentleman ask of you?”

“This guest wanted us to change his whiskey glass for one with pure water, Mr. President,” the waiter replied.

Lyndon Johnson extended an arm and handed his own glass of whiskey to the waiter. “Please bring me a glass of water as well,” he said.

After the toast, the president approached Antonio and, almost whispering, asked, “Why don’t you drink like the others?” With the interpreter’s help, Antonio replied with a large smile. “When I was young, I promised myself that I would never drink, and many years later I renewed that promise with God,” he said. “So far, everything has worked well.”

The president extended a hand. “Congratulations for being such a magnificent example,” he said. “I, too, am a man of faith. God bless you.” A firm handshake ended the conversation.

As Antonio mingled at the reception, he felt curious stares. His habit of abstaining from alcohol, strengthened by his faith, had resulted in an unexpected encounter with one of the most powerful people on earth. His heart rejoiced that he had been able to represent God at the White House.

Today, Antonio seeks to represent God every day in Concepción, Peru, where he lives with his wife, Enma. He is ninety-nine and she is ninety — a living witness to their conviction that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

Amen!(2)

The post Inside Story: Sharing Living Water first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Inside Story: Sharing Living Water appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/inside-story-sharing-living-water/

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Visions of Future Glory,” Pages 722-733, in Prophets and Kings.

Modern science teaches that all matter is composed of atoms, themselves made up of two smaller particles, quarks and leptons, which are believed to be the building blocks of all physical reality.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

If, then, at the core the physical world is quarks and leptons, couldn’t the God who not only created and sustains that world just reconfigure the quarks and lepton when the time comes to resurrect us? Mocking the resurrection, atheist Bertrand Russell asked what happens to those whom cannibals ate, because their bodies are now part of the cannibals’, and so who gets what in the resurrection? But suppose the Lord simply grabs quarks and leptons, the ultimate building blocks of existence, from wherever, and, based on the information that He possesses about each one of us, reconstructs us from those quarks and leptons on up? He doesn’t need our original ones; any will do. Or, in fact, He could just speak new quarks and leptons into existence and go from there. However He does it, the God who created the universe can re-create us, which He promises to do at the resurrection of the dead.

“The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.” — Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1143.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

Amen!(2)

The post Friday: Further Thought ~ The Old Testament Hope first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Friday: Further Thought ~ The Old Testament Hope appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/friday-further-thought-old-testament-hope/

You can view an in-depth discussion of Hope in the Old Testament in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztIe6lduSKg&w=560&h=315]

With thanks to

Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

Amen!(0)

The post 4: The Old Testament Hope – HopeSS Video Discussion first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post 4: The Old Testament Hope – HopeSS Video Discussion appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-the-old-testament-hope-hopess-video-discussion/

As we will see, the New Testament talks a great deal about the resurrection of the dead; and, as we have already seen, the idea of the resurrection of the dead appears in the Old Testament, as well. These people, in Old Testament times, had the hope of the final resurrection that we do. Martha, living at the time of Jesus, already had this hope (John 11:24). No question, even then, the Jews had some knowledge of the resurrection in the last days, even if not all believed it. (See Acts 23:8.)

Read Daniel 12:1-13 . What resurrection hope is found here, in the writings of this great prophet?

Image © Kevin Carden at Goodsalt.com

Daniel 12:1 refers to Michael, “the great prince,” whose identification has been much disputed. Because each of the great visions in the book of Daniel culminates with the manifestation of Christ and His kingdom, the same should be the case in regard to this specific passage. In the book of Daniel we find allusions to the same Divine Being as “the Prince of the host” (Daniel 8:11, NKJV), “the Prince of princes” (Daniel 8:25, NKJV), “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25, NKJV), and finally as “Michael, the great prince” (Daniel 12:1, NASB). So, we should identify Michael also as Christ.

The Old Testament passages considered so far (Job 19:25-27, Psalm 49:15, Psalm 71:20, Isaiah 26:19) all speak of the resurrection of righteous people. But Daniel 12:1-13 speaks of a resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous. When Michael stands up, “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2, NKJV).

Many view this verse to be talking about a special resurrection of certain people, both the faithful and the unfaithful, at Christ’s return.

“Graves are opened, and ’many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth … awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.’ Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. ’They also which pierced Him’ (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 637.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

Amen!(0)

The post Thursday: Those Who Sleep in the Dust first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Thursday: Those Who Sleep in the Dust appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/thursday-those-who-sleep-in-dust/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr. Alberto Timm, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson, “The Old Testament Hope.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znSLJk1ymhY&w=560&h=315]

Amen!(0)

The post 4: The Old Testament Hope – It is Written – Discussions with the Author first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post 4: The Old Testament Hope – It is Written – Discussions with the Author appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-the-old-testament-hope-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/