Further Study: Revival: Our Great Need
“A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy 
Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.”-Ellen G. White,The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.
“The counsel of the True Witness is full of encouragement and comfort. The churches may yet obtain the gold of truth, faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure. ‘Buy of me gold that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.’ The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ that may be wrought into the character. Purity of heart, purity of motive, will characterize everyone who is washing his robe, and making it white in the blood of the Lamb.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 24, 1888.
Discussion Questions:
- What is so dangerous about being lukewarm? Why can it lead us so easily to spiritual self-deception?
- Why do some Christians seem so radiant and others so indifferent? Is it a matter of different personality types, or is there something deeper? If so, what?
- Discuss with your class ways in which to avoid becoming spiritually indifferent. How can we keep our spiritual experience vibrant and growing? What are things that we can do as a church body, as a whole, to protect ourselves from becoming “lukewarm”?
- Why do you think God would rather have us “cold” than “lukewarm”? Why isn’t being lukewarm better than being flat-out cold? Hint: what’s more comfortable, being lukewarm or being cold?
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God speaks to us through these sabbath school lessons. They help me to build my relationship with Jesus and expand my study of the Bible.
The lessons we will be studying this quarter are very instructive for us as members in this end time. Each of us is to ensure that the messages are applied to our lives and to totally surrender to His will.
Please pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the members of Anchovy SDA Church as we embark on a gospel campaign on Sunday. We are aware that God has His people to be saved at this time. May people surrender to His will.
For sure we are living at end times and there is much to be done if we really have the hope of meeting Christ when he comes. This therefore calls for a true revival and reformation. Church members must take personal initiatives to reexamine their spiritual lives.
This quarter's theme is so important that we can hardly afford not to give it the proper attention that it deserves. Let's pray that we all get revived.
The Danger of being Lukewarm
It seems to me that lukewarmness is not only dangerous but also useless. Cold water in hot climate is refreshing to a thirsty soul (Proverbs 25:25). Hot water can be utilized in cooking and boiling food. But lukewarm water is useless for cooking as the food never gets ready for eating. It also is useless for quenching one`s thirst and would be vomited (Revelation 3:16).
This could be a symbol of useless religion consisting as a dry theory, which is of no use for oneself and for others. For truth to be convincing it has to be written in heart and mind by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16; 2 Corinthians 3:3). This is the effect of Revival and Reformation.
Winfried Stolpmann
Hello everyone. I am Geno Mosi from Papua New Guinea, a fresher at Divine Word University. This is my first time to take part in Sabbath School discussion.
This is what I have to say:
Revelation 3:18
I advise you, then, to buy gold from me, pure gold, in order to be rich. Buy also white clothing to dress yourself and cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy also some ointment to put on your eyes, so that you may see.
In the above verse God is asking us to buy and the word buy means to pay money for something in order to obtain it.
My question is what is the legal tender we will use to buy the things God is selling to us?
He Geno,
God didn't say we would have to buy with "legal tender." However, the word "buy" does imply an exchange of some kind.
So what do we have to give the Lord in exchange for what He offers?
Only a sinful, polluted heart!
He will accept what we have and give us back so much more!!
Buy the truth and sell it not Jesus is the Truth The way and the Life He is light Buy Him His words .
Geno,
Greetings from Washington state. In answer to your question, I think that the legal tender really represents quality time that God wants from us. As in our regular monies that we earn it also represents the time that we invest in our jobs that our employer then gives to us to use to buy what we need. "Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man opens that door I will come in and sup with him and he with me"... He promises to reward us also with quality time and give us faith that has been tried, His righteousness, and spiritual insight.
In this quater's lesson we need to revive our lifes; wake up 4 being spritualiy death n turn to God ..! Nvr be lukewarm . . . ! Be either cold or hot . . . !!
The Lord want us to revived Dailey by his word , for only by his word we can be faithful and be a witness and stay hot and ready till he appears..! Through the fire to be fine gold...
What kind of love God has for us,given us such sabbath school through His servant.
When i got finished learning the Weeks lesson,I have seen that God is love as Rev 3:20 portrays.He is standing at individual door knocking for you and me to open Him so that He can enter into it.Jesus is calling us to His side because He dont want us to go astray.He only need your heart to stay in you. The love of Jesus Christ can not be quantified.Therefore we need to avoid lukewarm in our relationship with Christ and stay focus .
Happy Sabbath my beloved parents.
Am small boy that is why am using that word(parents).
To buy from God would be to sell what we have so we may be able to buy something better. God has already paid the price as He gave His son for the ransom of our sins. Now we can go to Him and purchase (though it is free) a new life. The metaphor of "buying" can be linked to anything that has been paid for a price as we see with our freedom here in America. Military people give their lives for our freedom and in a way they have bought our freedom for us with their very own lives, and this is what God has done through Christ for us. Freedom costs something and all He wants is us, filthy or not, He wants us and He will clean us up. Praise God we are not left alone to handle this on our own.
Oh how we must come to a total understanding that we are all spiritually dead by ourselves. Jesus came and made the only provision for us to rise up out of our spiritual death state. We are naked and blind spiritually without Christ. He will not force His will upon us. He will stand at the doors of our hearts and knock, if we choose to open the doors of our hearts and invite Him in, He will come in and exchange our moth eaten treasures with pure gold of eternal riches, and clothe our righteousness of filthy rags with His white robe of His righteousness for His righteousness is the only righteousness that counts. Here's a song that is well fitting here: "Without Him i could do nothing. And without Him i surely failed. And without Him i would be drifting, like a ship without a sail. Ch: Jesus oh Jesus, do you know Him today, please don't turn Him away oh oh Jesus precious Jesus, without Him how lost we would be. Without Him i would be dying. And without Him i'd be enslaved. And without Him my life would be hopeless, but with Jesus thank God we're all saved." Jesus wants to abide with us if we open the door of our hearts and invite Him in. Jesus have the only remedy for our sin sick souls. Thank you Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the salvation that will not be discouraged. Help us to daily glinging to You for refreshing living water of your grace. Amen!!!
Hi Fellow believers,
I wish you a happy Sabbath- for this is the day our Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it. Certainly We are in need of revival- a revival of primitive godliness. The holy spirit is the appointed agency to equipped all men for holy use, it is He who convict hearts and prepare them for repentance. Therefore I know there is nothing I can do in my strength to please my Heavenly Father however with the quickening of the Holy Spirit I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Revive us for the end is here, revive us Lord.
I enjoy so much all your comments on our bible studies, they are varied and yet right on the mark to make us more thoughtful in our study of the bible. I agree Jesus bought us for a price, but we in turn must surrender our sinful heart to Him to clean and restore us in order to be ready for heaven and then live out our lives with love, prayers, and faith, the way He planned for us to live from the very beginning.