Lesson 5 *October 27 - November 2
“Seek the Lord”
Memory Text: (Amos 5:14 KJV) Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
“Scripture from the NEW KINGS JAMES VERSION” Copyright © 1982: Used by permission
Sabbath Afternoon
(John 17:3 NKJV) "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Sunday October 28
Seek Me And Live
(Amos 5:4 NKJV) For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live;
(John 14:6 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(Col 3:4 NKJV) When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
(2 Tim 1:1 NKJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
(1 John 5:11-12 NKJV) And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. {12} He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Nature the Servant of God The material world is under God's control. The laws that govern all nature are obeyed by nature. Everything speaks and acts the will of the Creator. The clouds, the rain, the dew, the sunshine, the showers, the wind, the storm, all are under the supervision of God, and yield implicit obedience to Him who employs them. The tiny spear of grass bursts its way through the earth, first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. The Lord uses these, His obedient servants, to do His will.--Letter 131, 1897. {MM 7.1}
Christ the Life and Light Christ, who created the world and all things that are therein, is the life and light of every living thing.--6T 182. {MM 7.2}
In Jesus is our life derived. In Him is life, that is original, unborrowed, underived life. In us there is a streamlet from the fountain of life. In Him is the fountain of life. Our life is something that we receive, something that the Giver takes back again to Himself. If our life is hid with Christ in God, we shall, when Christ shall appear, also appear with Him in glory.
And while in this world we will give to God, in sanctified service, all the capabilities He has given us.--Letter 309, 1905. {MM 7.3}
Life by the Power of God The parable of the seed reveals that God is at work in nature. The seed has in itself a germinating principle, a principle that God himself has implanted; yet if left to itself the seed would have no power to spring up. Man has his part to act in promoting the growth of the grain. . . . {MM 7.4}
There is life in the seed, there is power in the soil; but unless an infinite power is exercised day and night, the seed will yield no returns. The showers of rain must be sent to give moisture to the thirsty fields, the sun must impart heat, electricity must be conveyed to the buried seed. The life which the Creator has (p. 8) implanted, He alone can call forth. Every seed grows, every plant develops, by the power of God.--C.O.L. 63. {MM 7.5}
(Amos 5:6 NKJV) Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel;
(Mat 8:22 NKJV) But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Monday October 29
The Makers Of The Pleiades
(Amos 5:8 NKJV) He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name.
(Amos 5:6 NKJV) Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel;
(Amos 5:8 NKJV) He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name.
(Isa 37:16 NKJV) "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
(Isa 40:28 NKJV) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
(Isa 44:24 NKJV) Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
(John 1:3 NKJV) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
(Eph 4:18 NKJV) having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
Tuesday October 30
Call To Repentance
(Hosea 10:12 NKJV) Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
Wednesday October 31
“For I Know Your Manifold Transgressions”
(Amos 5:10-13 NKJV) They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly. {11} Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them. {12} For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate. {13} Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.
Thursday November 1
Hate Evil, Love Good
(Amos 5:14-15 NKJV) Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. {15} Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
(Micah 3:11 NKJV) Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us."
(Isa 8:20 NKJV) To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
(John 16:13 NKJV) "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Friday November 2
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 50, 58 - 59
God has a church on earth who are lifting up the downtrodden law, and presenting to the world the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The church is the depositary of the wealth of the riches of the grace of Christ, and through the church eventually will be made manifest the final and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory. The prayer of Christ that His church may be one as He was one with His Father will finally be answered.
The rich dowry of the Holy Spirit will be given, and through its constant supply to the people of God they will become witnesses in the world of the power of God unto salvation. {TM 50.1}
There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren. Is it possible that men will arise from among us, who speak perverse things, and give voice to the very sentiments that Satan would have disseminated in the world in regard to those (p. 51) who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus? Is there not work enough to satisfy your zeal in presenting the truth to those who are in the darkness of error? As those who have been made stewards of means and ability, you have been misapplying your Lord's goods in disseminating error. The whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the binding claims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must engage in no ordinary conflict. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Those who have any realization of what this warfare means will not turn their weapons against the church militant, but with all their powers will wrestle with the people of God against the confederacy of evil. {TM 50.2}
God has a distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law of God. God has divinely appointed agencies--men whom He is leading, who have borne the heat and burden of the day, who are cooperating with heavenly instrumentalities to advance the kingdom of Christ in our world. Let all unite with these chosen agents, and be found at last among those who have the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus. {TM 58.1}
The Letter The following is the letter sent to Brother S. [SEE APPENDIX.]: "Napier, New Zealand, March 23, 1893. {TM 58.2}
"Dear Brother S.:
"I address to you a few lines. I am not in harmony with the position that you have taken, for I have been shown by the Lord that just such positions will be taken by those who are in error. Paul has given us warning to this effect: 'Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.' {TM 58.3}
"My brother, I learn that you are taking the position that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, and that all that would be saved must come out of her. You are not the only man the devil has deceived in this matter. For the last forty years, one man after (p. 59) another has arisen, claiming that the Lord has sent him with the same message; but let me tell you, as I have told them, that this message you are proclaiming is one of the satanic delusions designed to create confusion among the churches. {TM 58.4}
"My brother, you are certainly off the track. The second angel's message was to go to Babylon [the churches] proclaiming her downfall, and calling the people to come out of her. This same message is to be proclaimed the second time. 'And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.' {TM 59.1}
"My brother, if you are teaching that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, you are wrong, God has not given you any such message to bear. Satan will use every mind to which he can attain access, inspiring men to originate false theories or go off on some wrong tangent,
that he may create a false excitement, and thus divert souls from the true issue for this time. I presume that some may be deceived by your message, because they are full of curiosity and desire for some new thing. (p. 60) {TM 59.2}
(Hosea 11:1-8 NKJV) "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. {2} As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images. {3} "I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them. {4} I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them. {5} "He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent. {6} And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them, Because of their own counsels. {7} My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. {8} "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred.
(Amos 5:15 NKJV) Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
(Amos 5:14 NKJV) Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.
(Gen 2:17 NKJV) "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."