lesson eight

FEBRUARY 1319

Comrades in

Arms

And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn
within us while He talked with us on the road, and while
He opened the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:32, NKJV).

sabbath
FEBRUARY 13

Introduction

Come to Me and Find

Refuge for Your Life

Ps. 46:1

Growing up in Malawi, I remember my mother reading the Bible and explaining to me how sin entered this world. As a child, I found it always difficult
to understand most of those things. My mother was a God-loving person,
and she used to explain to us how she was saved from an early death by
becoming a Christian. She told us how friends from her village had died very
young due to reckless ways of living. She always wanted to make a point
regarding evil and how sin brought about suffering and death. So she encouraged us to make right decisions in our lives. Though she is now resting in her
grave, awaiting the Second Coming, I still treasure her amazing guidance
that helped me to find refuge in God.

Live a life of hope in Jesus Christ.

Without a doubt, the year 2014 was filled with many horrible events.
There was the loss of 239 passengers and crew on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Two hundred ninety-eight people were killed when flight
MH17 was shot down on July 17. Then there was the beheading of hostages in Syria. These and other catastrophes remind us of how vulnerable
we are in this sinful world. Where can we go to seek safety?
God never meant for us to be victims of sin. Neither does He want to
leave us in darkness. The plan of redemption was put in place so that,
though helpless due to rebellion, we may have hope in His redeeming love
(John 3:16). Rebellion has brought a curse to the entire creation. Consequently, the problem of sin can and will only be solved by God, the Creator
of the cosmos.
The promises of salvation were fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ
and the work of the Holy Spirit. The new age and new creation and new
covenant had indeed dawned.* Salvation should be understood as a past,
present, and future event. In other words, it is the already and the not yet
phenomenon. This is a biblical concept: past (Rom. 8:24; Eph. 2:4, 5, 810;
Titus 3:47); present (1 Cor. 1:18; 15:1, 2; 2 Cor. 2:14, 15; 1 Pet. 3:21); and
future (Rom. 5:9, 10; 13:11; 1 Cor. 5:4, 5; Phil. 1:5, 6).
This week, I invite you to live a life of hope in Jesus Christ, knowing that
through Him you can find refuge in God while you live in this rebellious
world, awaiting the consummation of your redemption freely given at the
cross.

____________
* Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Baker Academic, 2008), p. 509.

Newton W. Kawiliza, Bracknell, England

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sunday

FEBRUARY 14

Evidence

Luke 5:111

Improving Our Potential

With Jesus

Because we are made in Gods image (Gen. 1:27), each of us, irrespective
of our gender, education, or socioeconomic status, has the potential to improve. When we trust God, that potential increases. The disciples exemplified
this. They were ordinary people, but Jesus still selected them for His ministry.
Before He did so, He prayed for guidance in selecting His ministerial team.
He was comfortable revealing His connection with His Father. He said, The

The fishmongers business immediately bucked

the recession trend.
words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father,
living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the
Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works
themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have
been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:1012, NIV).
After Jesus selected the disciples and began working with them, they used
factual life experiences to doubt His instructions. However, they obeyed Him
anyway and discovered that obedience brought benefits far beyond their past
experiences. They had worked all night without catching a single fish, but after protesting Jesus command, they reluctantly threw in their nets again. The
resulting overload burst the nets. People rushed to help, contacts with whom
they could share Jesus. The good news went viral, so that more people flocked
to Jesus meetings. And the fishmongers business immediately bucked the
recession trend (Luke 5:46).
Once the unschooled men had been with Jesus, the Holy Spirit gave them
power to improve their potential beyond that of the normal population. They
could now heal the sick and speak in different languages, to the amazement
of onlookers, who whispered: Arent all these who are speaking Galileans?
(Acts 2:7, NIV).
Jesus wants us to be comrades in arms with Him. He wants us to reflect
high-quality connections in our lives as we seek to realize our potentialHe
in us and we in Him, as He and the Father are one together (see John 14:20;
15:4). We can do what God says, because He says it.

Albert A. C. Waite, Berkshire, England

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monday
FEBRUARY 15

Logos

Battles to Fight
and Victories to Gain

Matt. 8:2327;
Mark 3:1315;
9:3337;
Luke 5:68, 11;
24:1935

Peters Call (Luke 5:68, 11)

Christs call for Peter to become a disciple and fisher of men serves as
an object lesson to all of us who want to become His disciples. Peter, an
expert fisherman, had toiled all night with his partners, yet they had caught
nothing (Luke 5:5, NKJV). All their human efforts had resulted in failure and
discouragement.

Many people have difficulty coping with power and success.

After almost two years of instruction from the Master Teacher, Peter, Andrew, James, and John were ready to learn that self-renunciation and reliance on divine power are not only essential qualities for all disciples but also
indispensable for advancing Gods kingdom on the earth. This was the same
lesson Jacob had to learn before he could fulfill Gods purpose for his life
(Gen. 32:2430). Jacobs struggle for his life was more a fight against self
and his carnal nature than a fight against God. He had lived his life relying
on human wisdom and methods to solve problems and to achieve success.
Now, however, he was ready to completely renounce self and depend on
God. Thus, his name was changed from Jacob to Israel. He had become
a different person. Likewise, when Christ foresaw Simons conversion and
victory over self, He told Simon that his name would be changed to Peter
(John 1:42).
Before a person is truly qualified to walk with Christ, he or she must first
gain the victory over the old sinful nature and self-dependence. Then we also
will be given a new name (Rev. 2:17).

Always With Christ (Mark 3:1315)

Before God can send us forth to proclaim the good news concerning His
kingdom, we must first spend time with Christ. We must learn from Him the
art of spiritual warfare. We must learn that the weapons used to free ourselves and others from evil are not of earthly origin. Rather, they are spiritual
in nature and therefore come from the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 10:36).
Through prayer and submission to Christ, we are to gain victory over our
carnal nature, and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, grow the fruit of
the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). When we spend quality time with Christ, we are able
to go with Him, our King and Commander-in-Chief, to fight against the kingdom of darkness. We are never to fight alone. We are always to have Christ
and His angels by our side.
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Jesus Dominion Over Nature (Matt. 8:2327)

The only account we have of Christ sleeping was when He was in a boat
during a violent storm. The disciples were afraid for their lives, for the waves
swept over the boat (Matt. 8:24, NIV), which was in danger of sinking. Yet
despite this threat to His and the disciples lives, Christ was fast asleep in the
stern of the boat. Satan already had demonstrated that he had power over
the elements when he caused fire to come down from heaven and a great
wind to come from the wilderness to destroy Jobs property and to kill his
children (Job 1:1216, 19).
Christ, however, was not afraid, because He trusted completely in His
Father. Thus it was that He asked His disciples, You of little faith, why are
you so afraid? (Matt. 8:26, NIV). He knew that the God who had protected
His righteous servant Job would also protect Him. Christ had demonstrated
His power to heal all manner of sickness, to raise the dead, and to cast out
demons. Now He revealed His power over the elements of nature. Then he
got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm
(verse 26, NIV).
Christ desired to teach His disciples that when faced with life-threatening
dangers, they must trust God completely. We, too, must trust Him to calm
emotional storms of anger, hurt, grief, worry, and other intense feelings that
often overwhelm us.

Who Is the Greatest? (Mark 9:3337)

When the 72 disciples returned with joy from their campaign against the
kingdom of darkness, they said, Lord, even the demons submit to us in
your name (Luke 10:17, NIV). Soon, however, the twelve disciples would
be disputing among themselves about which one of them was the greatest.
James and John desired to have power and authority in the kingdom of God
above the other 10 disciples (Matt. 20:2028).
Many people have difficulty coping with power and success. In Gods kingdom, however, the humblest person is considered to be the greatest (Matt.
18:35). Disciples receive office, power, and authority in order to serve and
exalt others, but never to be great or to exalt themselves.

Daily Encounter With the Living Word (Luke 24:1335)

Satan and his demons are skilled in the art of spiritual warfare. They have
had thousands of years of experience. They know all of our weaknesses and
how to distract and discourage us. It is imperative, therefore, that we have
daily encounters with Christ, the Living Word. A vital union with Him through
prayer, Bible study, meditation, and service will help us to be healthy and
productive Christians (John 15:110). In a moment of darkness and discouragement while on their way to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion were
privileged to spend some time with Christ, who guided them through a Bible
study (Luke 24:1335). At the end, they said to each other, Were not our
hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened
the Scriptures to us? (verse 32, NIV). It is also our privilege to have such
encounters with the Living Word on a daily basis.
Elliott A. Williams, Watford, England
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tuesday
FEBRUARY 16

Testimony

Stay Connected

Luke 5:111

When Jesus performed a miracle for Peter, James, and John, they left their
fishing nets and followed Him. These disciples had a firsthand experience
with His power both when He performed many miracles and when He authorized them to go out in twos to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim
the kingdom of God. Yet despite these experiences, the disciples struggled
with sin. On the boat, they lost their faith, and they faced power struggles that
ensued from their bickering about which of them was the greatest. Through
their struggles, we can learn how to deal with our struggles. The solution is to
always stay connected to Jesus.

Christ should never be out of the mind.

Dangers unseen beset our path. Our only safety is in constant watchfulness and prayer. The nearer we live to Jesus, the more will we partake of His
pure and holy character; and the more offensive sin appears to us, the more
exalted and desirable will appear the purity and brightness of Christ.1
The connection of the branch with the vine, Jesus said, represents the
relation His followers are to sustain to him. The scion is engraved into the
living vine, and fiber by fiber, vein by vein, it grows into the vine stock. So the
soul receives life through connection with Christ. The sinner unites his weaknesses to Christs strength, his emptiness to Christs fullness. Then he has
the mind of Christ.2
Our strength comes from leaning on Christ. The 11 disciples who stayed
connected to Jesus even after His resurrection helped to spread the gospel
and, through their dependency on Him, encourage us to do the same. The
beholding of Jesus becomes an ennobling, refining process. . . . The perfection of Christs character is the Christians inspiration. . . . Christ should never
be out of the mind. . . .
The power of Christ is to be the comfort, the hope, the crown of rejoicing,
of every one that follows Jesus in his conflict, in his struggles in life. He who
truly follows the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world can
shout as he advances, This is the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith. 1 John 5:4.3

REACT
How will you maintain your connection with Christ when you are sinking?

____________
1. Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health, p. 623.
2. White, From Heaven With Love, p. 453.
3. White, Our Father Cares, p. 126.

Judith Makaniankhondo, Binfield, England

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wednesday
Matt. 10:34;
Rom. 12:2;
Eph. 6:1017

How-to

FEBRUARY 17

Soldiers, Swords,
and Social Networking

We are soldiers in the army . . . I grew up singing this youth chorus. So

many of our songs, symbols, and scriptural references are about being a
soldierputting on our armor to remind us that we cannot escape the spiritual battle that surrounds us. We should never forget that we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in
the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12, NKJV).

Jesus started His social network with just 12 people.

What does it mean to put on our armor?
Today, when we want someone to be fully supportive of a cause, we talk
about winning hearts and minds. When we win a persons heart and mind,
that person is fully convinced of, or converted to, the cause. Without changes
occurring in ones heart and mind there can be no sustainable transformation. We all must make a personal choice regarding whom we stand for
Jesus or Satan. Jesus said, I did not come to bring peace but a sword
(Matt. 10:34, NKJV). Paul describes the sword of the Spirit as the word of
God (Eph. 6:17, NKJV).
We must be prepared for Satans subtle attacks on our weaknesses, our
blind spots. This preparation includes putting on the entire armor of God
(verses 1017) and being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom.
12:2, NKJV). Being transformed infers a complete change. The process of
transformational change prepares us for the spiritual battles that we all face.
Transformation is about the burning in our hearts that we feel when the Holy
Spirit enters our lives (Luke 24:32).
We will engage in social networking. Jesus started His social networking with just 12 people. His approach taught His disciples how to avoid the
status quo, connect with the disconnected, give hope to the hopeless, share
love with the unloved, and be comrades in arms in order to lead a worldwide
movement. It was the start of what we now call social networkingconnecting
with like-minded people who can help us win the battle of hearts and minds
for Jesus and spread the good news throughout the world.
Yes, we are soldiers in the army! So, lets stand up, stand up for Jesus.

REACT
1. What is the first step you personally need to take in renewing your mind?
2. Who can help you recognize your blind spots so that you can prepare
for your own personal transformation?
Jackie Lynton, Birmingham, England
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thursday
FEBRUARY 18

Opinion

Gods True Kingdom

Matt. 6:10

In His first public address, Jesus revealed the kingdom of God (Matthew
57). He started His discipleship with just 12 people. Because of traditions,
earthly motives, and personal biases, hardly anybody understood Him. Jesus
was never a rabble-rouser nor a ranting rebel (Matthew 12:1920). Yet He constantly defied the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees. And He did not do
so by accident, but rather with great deliberation.* Jesus wanted everybody to
know what Gods kingdom was all about.

There is a war swirling around us.

For the Jews, the kingdom of God was about regaining royal status. They
wanted a messiah who had a political-military agenda, the strength of David,
and the wisdom of Solomon. They wanted a messiah who would free Israel
from Roman subjugation and exalt their nation above every other nation.
But what is the true kingdom of God about? It is like a mustard seed (Matt.
13:31, 32), leaven (verse 33), a hidden treasure (verse 44), a kingdom that is
at hand (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7, NKJV), with hands that touch the sick, feed the
hungry, hug the children, calm the storms, dispose of evil, and raise the dead.
Jesus kingdom brings hope, healing, and comfort, and it wins the battle
against eternal death. Yet even His own disciples did not understand Him.
Perhaps they thought of using His miracles as a way to get funds for their
next campaign. But Jesus was not about temporal power. He wasnt into
politics, fame, or money. He wasnt about being a conservative or a liberal.
He was about doing good, because God is good. He was about showing the
face of God that for so long had been hidden by Satans evil schemes.
Yes, there is a war swirling around us, a war that not only affects our lives
but also our relationship with God. The disciples had to deal with it. Jesus had
to deal with it. And we have to deal with it. Yet with Jesus, heaven begins here.
The Lord wants us to bless others, to show a little bit of heaven to the people
we meet. Thus, the kingdom of God needs to start now, with us.

REACT
1. What will it take for you to interact with Gods kingdom on a daily basis?
2. What does the kingdom of God mean to you personally?
3. What can you do to help your friends understand the importance of living
in the kingdom of God now?

____________
* Frank Viola and George Barna, Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of Our Church
Practices (Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2012), p. 244.

Serena Santona, Binfield, England

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friday

Luke 24:32

Exploration

FEBRUARY 19

Heaven Begins Here

CONCLUDE
This sin-stained world, awash in troubles and trials, is nonetheless where
heaven begins for Christians. God is our refuge. We have the armor of God
available to us. Through daily encounters with God through prayer, Bible study,
meditation, and service, we strengthen our connection with Him. Our hearts
burn within us as we cling to Jesus, weather the storms, and endure the spiritual war swirling around us, all the time realizing that heaven begins here because of the connection we have with God. We are His agents, whose mission
it is to bless others and to show a bit of heaven to those we meet.

CONSIDER
Designing tokens that say Heaven Begins Here. Put these on your
desk or bulletin board, or glue a magnet to the back of the tokens and
put them on your refrigerator. You could also create a plaque with the
saying to hang above a door of your living quarters to see each time
you leave.
Looking for God moments when you see, sense, or feel that heaven
begins here. Record and analyze these times to establish any patterns that appear about when, where, or how these moments occur.
Remember that they can be a foretaste of heaven on earth.
Interviewing an artist to discuss how we can see beauty in mundane
moments or places. Discuss with this person how such examples
show that heaven begins here.
Photographing things that remind you that heaven begins here, and
sharing your photographs with your friends. Examples may include
a newborn baby, a double rainbow, underwater beauty seen while
snorkeling, an awesome nature scene, someone helping a person in
need, a tender moment, a kitten, a puppy, et cetera.
Recalling a time when you were with someone or in a group and only
one of you experienced a God moment. Reflect on why all present
did not have that same awareness. Evaluate why that may have been.
Posting to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using #HeavenBeginsHere
to share examples of how heaven can begin on earth.

CONNECT
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, God With Us.
Douglas Cooper, Living Gods Love (Pacific Press, 1975).
Geoffrey E. Garne, Heaven Came Down (Stanborough Press, 2008).
Rick Blondo, Clarksville, Maryland, U.S.A.
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