Friday: Further Thought - Precursors

Daily Lesson for Friday 20th of June 2025

**Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “God’s People Delivered,” Pages 635–652, in The Great Controversy.**

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“In all ages, God has wrought through holy angels for the succor and deliverance of His people. Celestial beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared clothed in garments that shone as the lightning; they have come as men in the garb of wayfarers. Angels have appeared in human form to men of God. They have rested, as if weary, under the oaks at noon. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes. They have acted as guides to benighted travelers. They have, with their own hands, kindled the fires at the altar. They have opened prison doors and set free the servants of the Lord. Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they came to roll away the stone from the Saviour’s tomb.

“In the form of men, angels are often in the assemblies of the righteous; and they visit the assemblies of the wicked, as they went to Sodom, to make a record of their deeds, to determine whether they have passed the boundary of God’s forbearance. The Lord delights in mercy; and for the sake of a few who really serve Him, He restrains calamities and prolongs the tranquillity of multitudes. Little do sinners against God realize that they are indebted for their own lives to the faithful few whom they delight to ridicule and oppress.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, Pages 631, 632.

Discussion Questions

Read 2 Timothy 1:7. Discuss the things in prophecy that have worried you most. How do we shake off the spirit of fear and find God’s message of hope even amid the prophecies that talk about persecution for our faith?
Though right now it might be hard to see how Sabbath and Sunday could become front and center in final events, look at how quickly the world can change. What should this truth teach us about not basing our faith on current events, which can change in an instant, but only on the revealed Word of God?
Think about Daniel 2:1-49 (and even 7). All the empires came and went exactly as predicted. Today, looking back over history, we can see that they did, as predicted. From our perspective today, only one more kingdom is to come. Which one is that, and why can we be assured that it will, indeed, come as predicted?

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Carmel and I have been reading C S Lewis's "Mere Christianity" for worship lately. It has been a real blessing. I read it many years ago when I was a student, and had underlined all the good bits that I refer to from time to time. But this is the first time in 60 years that I am in the process of reading it right through again. It is still one of the best arguments for Christianity in an atheistic world, but it is also a challenge for believers because Lewis understands our weaknesses and foibles so well.

Here is what I read last night:

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone. That is why I say that Pride is essentially competitive in a way the other vices are not. Lewis C S, "Mere Christianity" Chapter on Pride.

And I had just been studying the lesson about the images of Daniel 2 and giving ourselves a pat on the back for having a better understanding of their importance than apostate Christians. Ouch!! The chapter on "Pride" describes it as the worst sin of all.

And then I read:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV

If we know the way, how do we put it into practice? If you want to be a good teacher, think like a student!

Link to free copies of Mere Christianity

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Friday: Further Thought – Precursors — 2 Comments

Motanya Dan on June 19, 2025 at 10:00 am said:

The speed at which the world is changing is overwhelming, yet prophecy serves as a spiritual compass in times of such uncertainty. Prophets were raised by God not to create panic, but to call people to purpose-driven transformation and change, in line with God's will and desire for the specific times. Mirrors in our homes and offices help us to recognize possible mistakes and embarrassments that could have been, and so is prophecy on the signs of the times, so that our response is not out of fear but based on facts as presented. This week’s lesson underscores that change is all around us our, environment being fluid in terms of technology, culture, and values. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven." Thus, change is not only inevitable, but it is part of God’s design.

The Key theme throughout this week's study is word is understanding of the prophetic call to awareness and preparedness in a fast-changing world, whether through climate shifts, technological revolutions, or social upheavals, we MUST NOT remain passive. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 16:3, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” This rebuke reminds us to stay spiritually alert. Prophecy does not demand change for novelty’s sake; it calls for discernment and the need to build upon a firm foundation in line with reassurance of Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," implying that even in a rapidly changing world, God’s truth is our unshakable and unchangeable!.

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Maurice Ashton on June 19, 2025 at 1:05 pm said:

Carmel and I have been reading C S Lewis's "Mere Christianity" for worship lately. It has been a real blessing. I read it many years ago when I was a student, and had underlined all the good bits that I refer to from time to time. But this is the first time in 60 years that I am in the process of reading it right through again. It is still one of the best arguments for Christianity in an atheistic world, but it is also a challenge for believers because Lewis understands our weaknesses and foibles so well.

Here is what I read last night:

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone. That is why I say that Pride is essentially competitive in a way the other vices are not. Lewis C S, "Mere Christianity" Chapter on Pride.

And I had just been studying the lesson about the images of Daniel 2 and giving ourselves a pat on the back for having a better understanding of their importance than apostate Christians. Ouch!! The chapter on "Pride" describes it as the worst sin of all.

And then I read:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV

If we know the way, how do we put it into practice? If you want to be a good teacher, think like a student!

Link to free copies of Mere Christianity

(0)

Reply ↓

Sabbath School Net

Seventh-day Adventist Bible Study Discussion

Friday: Further Thought – Precursors

**Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “God’s People Delivered,” Pages 635–652, in The Great Controversy.**

Read 2 Timothy 1:7. Discuss the things in prophecy that have worried you most. How do we shake off the spirit of fear and find God’s message of hope even amid the prophecies that talk about persecution for our faith?

Comments

Friday: Further Thought – Precursors — 2 Comments

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