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Inside Story for Friday 31st of July 2026

By Michael W. Campbell

Ovid Elbert Davis was born in Michigan on April 3, 1868. In 1902, he was inspired by Ellen White’s counsel to become a missionary, so he completed a ministerial course and accepted a call to work among the indigenous peoples of Alaska and then British Columbia.

On January 19, 1906, the General Conference voted to send Davis to British Guiana (Guiana), where the Adventist work recently had been started. He married Carrie Rosley in April, and the couple went to their new mission field the following month.

Davis distributed literature during his first two years in British Guiana. Then, in 1910, he reported organizing a new church 160 miles up the Barama River. It would become the Rio Paruime Mission. It was also in 1910 that Davis received a request from tribes deep in the interior that had never been visited by white men, asking to be taught the message of salvation.

These tribes had learned about the Adventist work by contact with indigenous people at the mission at Tapagruma Creek. There were reports that an old chief had been visited by a “shining being” who taught them about Creation, the entrance of sin, the story of the promised Redeemer, and Christ’s second coming. He also showed them how to worship on the seventh-day Sabbath and live a healthful life. He told him that a man with a black book would come and teach them more.

The journey took Davis two months. In one report, he stated that he had traveled 29 days by boat and an additional 10 days through dense forest.

Davis taught the Word of God to the forest tribes with his “black book” and reported the establishment of three mission bases among them. He noted that 187 people “took their stand to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” He built three church buildings and began to instruct the new believers “on the points of our faith.” He also taught them to sing a song in English, “There’s Not a Friend Like the Lowly Jesus.”

Davis returned for a second visit in 1911. He complained about a fever and heart problems just before departure. The last entry in his diary that he was able to write in his own handwriting was “Monday, July 17—The day was spent in further instruction and naming the people.” Naming people referenced the desire of new converts for a new name representative of their resolve to follow the Christian’s God and learn His ways.

This story was adapted from Michael Campbell’s biographical article in the online Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. We invite you to visit encyclopedia.adventist.org to enjoy more stories about Adventist missionaries. Read the rest of this story next week.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-05-inside-story-the-davis-indians-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-05-inside-story-the-davis-indians-part-1

Daily Lesson for Friday 31st of July 2026

Read Ellen G. White, “Idolatry at Sinai,” Pages 315–330, in Patriarchs and Prophets

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“How much good might be done if we would make a right use of our associations with one another! Every one who has received of the heavenly benefits is under obligation to shed some light on the pathway of others. . . . Then all those who truly love God will cease their idolatry of self.”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 18, 1884, p. 730.

“Paul urged his brethren to ask themselves what influence their words and deeds would have upon others and to do nothing, however innocent in itself, that would seem to sanction idolatry or offend the scruples of those who might be weak in the faith. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. . . .’

“The apostle’s words of warning to the Corinthian church are applicable to all time and are especially adapted to our day. By idolatry he meant not only the worship of idols, but self-serving, love of ease, the gratification of appetite and passion.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, Pages 316, 317.

“If you see that by doing certain things which you have a perfect right to do, you hinder the advancement of God’s work, refrain from doing those things. Do nothing that will close the minds of others against the truth. . . . All things may be lawful, but all things are not expedient.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 215.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-05-further-thought-all-to-the-glory-of-god/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-05-further-thought-all-to-the-glory-of-god

Daily Lesson for Thursday 30th of July 2026

In 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, Paul argues that love for God keeps one safe from idolatry. This argument is resumed and further developed in 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; 1 Corinthians 11:1. In 1 Corinthians 8:3, he speaks about our love for God. He says, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24, NKJV). This is love for others.

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians 10:1-33 precisely what Jesus did in Mark 12:28-31; namely, he binds together the two great commandments of the law: love for God above all, and love for others. In the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22), Jesus unites these two kinds of love, and does so by respectively alluding to Deuteronomy 6:4 (see Mark 10:18) and the second table of the Decalogue (see Mark 10:19). The problem of that rich young man is that he loved his possessions more than he loved God and his neighbors (Mark 10:22). He valued his treasure on earth above the treasures in heaven. He valued his money above the poor (Mark 10:21). He was an idolater.

Following the teachings of Jesus, Paul hints that the principle of loving God above all and the neighbor as oneself is to be applied to the hypothetical situations he mentions in 1 Corinthians 10:27-28. This means that even lawful things may not be helpful or edifying since they can be offensive to someone else’s conscience (1 Corinthians 10:23). This principle is masterly synthesized in the words “Do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV). By saying that all must be done to the glory of God, Paul indicates that idolatry can manifest itself in the most varied forms, for anything that usurps the glory that belongs to God alone is a form of idolatry (Isaiah 42:8).

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:31-33; 1 Corinthians 11:1 serve as a conclusion to chapters 8–10. He makes it clear he did not seek his own advantage, “but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33, ESV). That is how he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

<–Wednesday Friday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-05-overcoming-idolatry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-05-overcoming-idolatry

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 29th of July 2026

In 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, Paul resumes the issue of food offered to idols. Offering food to idols may be strange in many cultures today, but it was common in biblical times. When animals were sacrificed to the gods in the heathen temples, part of the animal was given to the officiat­ing priests, who sold the meat. Some of this meat found its way into the public markets. Because this meat was not kept separate from other meat that was also offered for sale in the market, a Christian might unknowingly purchase meat that had been offered to idols. The counsel of the apostle is that such meat may be freely purchased by Christians.

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

Nevertheless, while meat previously sacrificed in a temple could be eaten by Christians at home (1 Corinthians 8:1-13), the practice of going into pagan temples and participating in their festivals was clearly forbidden for Christians. The criterion is clear: Christians are allowed to eat that meat at home because the idols are nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4); however, Christians must not participate in pagan ceremonies because this corresponds to worshiping demons (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Taking part in pagan rituals equals having communion with demons (1 Corinthians 10:20), just as taking part in the Lord’s Supper equals having communion with Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16).

Thus, Paul says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21, NKJV). As Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24, NKJV).

Paul teaches that God requires wholehearted loyalty. He implies that idolatry provokes “the Lord to jealousy” (1 Corinthians 10:22, NKJV). For that not to happen, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, provides an infallible rule against idolatry, by alluding to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (NKJV; emphasis supplied). To this idea of loving God above all things in Deuteronomy 6:5, Jesus added, “ ‘ “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” ’ ” (Mark 12:31, NKJV; see also Leviticus 19:18).

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-05-warning-against-idolatry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-05-warning-against-idolatry