Lesson 5: Spirit-Empowered Witnessing

Lesson 5: Spirit-Empowered Witnessing

Here are some questions that perplex many Christian people around the world: what is "the latter rain" of the Holy Spirit? Is that blessing falling today, like showers of rain on thirsty crops? What is the purpose of this blessing that the Bible says God will "pour out" on His people worldwide (Zech. 10:1)? How can we distinguish between God's true latter rain and the counterfeit?

Can we who want it learn something from the history of the "early rain"? After over three years of teaching, the disciples were finally ready to be "with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).

All their individual desires for promotion were finally laid aside. Self was finally crucified with Christ so that sinful pride was humbled in the dust. Not one was seeking the highest place in the early church; each was ready to wash the feet of others.

They were not praying for power so they could be vindicated before the unbelieving scribes and Pharisees, or to be self-exalted triumphantly; they were praying for something new--the gift of love (agape). In fact, they had just begun to understand what love (agape) is! They had finally received a sobering lesson--they had seen agape in the self-emptying sacrifice of Christ.

Like a burst of lightning on a dark night or the sun shining in full strength at midnight, they had come face to face with the reality of what it cost their Saviour to save them. The Lamb of God had died the world's "wages of sin." He had "poured out His soul unto death" (Isa. 53:12), which the apostles clearly understood was the world's second death. Christ had suffered the horrors of hell in order to save us. And death and hell could not hold the Divine One who had made this supreme sacrifice of agape. Now self had to be crucified together with Christ! When they surveyed the wondrous cross on which they had seen the Prince of glory die, their richest gain they counted loss, and poured contempt on all their pride. Is there any lesson here?

The lesson for us who await "the latter rain" is sharply focused. The "early rain" wasn't a miracle of elocution that wrought that great work in the hearts of thousands. Peter didn't show off as a brilliant man. The miracle of "tongues" was only secondary to something greater than itself.

What got through to thousands of human hearts that day was a truth they had never dreamed of: they were guilty of the body and blood of the divine Son of God! They had murdered the Messiah! They couldn't blame the Romans and the chief priests. Now they had discovered their corporate guilt. Peter said, "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). "Men of Israel, ... you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life" (Acts 3:12-15).

There are some simple, clear facts that will at least begin to clear up our perplexity. Now, after 2,000 years, we expect the gift of the Holy Spirit to be given again as the complement of the "former" blessing.

The "former rain" was the light of truth that was given as a gift--it was the perception of the truth that God's professed people had rejected, murdered, and crucified the Lord of glory. Peter proclaimed that those people present there had crucified the Messiah, the Son of God. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart" (Acts 2:36, 37).

The latter rain will therefore be a gift of the Holy Spirit that will bring the true and ultimate conviction of sin that only He can bring to human hearts: the guilt of the crucifixion of Christ is oursin. But that is a truth that we don't comprehend clearly, as yet. According to Zechariah 12:10-13:1, when God's people do grasp that reality, there will come the greatest repentance of the ages. It will become the "final" experience of reconciliation with Christ, something known as "the final atonement."

This will make possible a movement, a second "Pentecost," a message to be proclaimed worldwide that will "lighten the earth with glory," and prepare a people for Christ's return.

--Paul E. Penno

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb1S8huvYas

Many of Pastor Penno's sermons are on YouTube in Spanish. Just type pastor paul penno en español in the search bar.

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 4: Prayer Power: Interceding for Others

Lesson 4: Prayer Power: Interceding for Others

 

There is one prayer that will always be answered with a resounding "Yes!" from the throne of God. It's in Luke 11 where Jesus tells about the man who had an unexpected hungry guest show up at midnight and he had no bread to feed him. He goes to his neighbor, bangs on the door, wakes him, asks, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him."

The point is, he is not saying, "Neighbor, I am hungry this midnight hour; feed me!" Rather, "Give me something I can pass on to someone else who is hungry."

And the dear Lord assures us, "He [God] will rise and give him as many as he needeth" And then to underline the assurance, He adds, "Ask, and it shall be given you," that is, to pass on to others (Luke 11:5-9).

You end up as a pipe through which some drops of the water of life flow to someone else. That's heaven on earth! And of course you may never see the answer to your prayer this side of the new earth, but that's okay. Just praying that prayer is joy enough, and thanking Him in advance. Now you have something to look forward to in heaven beyond your previous selfish desires--looking in the eyes of some now unknown recipient of the blessing you passed on. And you don't have to "preach." Just express love to someone.

In the great controversy between good and evil, intercessory prayer is a powerful weapon (2 Cor. 10:4, 5). God is doing everything He can to reach people without our prayers, but He is gracious and never violates their freedom of choice. However, our prayers make a difference because there are ground rules in the conflict between good and evil. One of the eternal laws of the universe is that God has given to every human being the freedom of choice. All the demons of darkness cannot force us to sin, and all the heavenly angels would never coerce us to do right. God voluntarily limits Himself by our choices. He does not use force to motivate our service to Him.

When we intercede for someone else, it enables God to work in ways that He could not work if we did not pray. In the cosmic conflict between the forces of heaven and the legions of darkness, God honors our freedom of choice to pray for another by powerfully working on their behalf. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Ellen White declares the efficacy of intercessory prayer in this remarkable statement: "Ministering angels are waiting about the throne to instantly obey the mandate of Jesus Christ to answer every prayer offered in earnest, living faith." [1]

As our prayers ascend to the throne of God, Jesus commissions heavenly angels to instantly descend to earth. He empowers them to beat back the forces of darkness that are battling for the mind of the individual for whom we are interceding. The individual has the freedom to choose Christ or Satan. Our prayers do not force or manipulate the will; they provide the best opportunity for the individual to see the issues clearly, providing them the best possibility of choosing eternal life.

How about praying the Lord's Prayer? "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever" (Matt. 6:13). It's a complete prayer; it encompasses the entire plan of salvation.

Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, we pray the prayer that may be over our heads in understanding: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (vs. 10).

The "kingdom" has not yet "come." It's been awaiting establishment now for 2000 years since Christ gave us this prayer of expectation; many who reverence the Bible as the Word of God wrestle with the conviction that it's overdue. It's been hindered. They also are convicted that if there is any delay, the honor of God will be compromised.

The coming of "the kingdom" is equivalent to the great "other angel [who] comes out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud, 'Thrust in Your sickle, and reap; for the time is come for You to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe" (Rev. 14:15). It's the grand close of probationary history of this earth.

The coming of the kingdom is also equivalent to the grand climax of Christ's work as the world's High Priest: "We have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, ... not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:14, 15). The High Priest's work is to reconcile the alienated hearts of God's people to Him; another name for that is the ministry of the antitypical Day of Atonement, a simple word, at-one-with-God-in-heart. Yes, for that to happen would be a miracle; but that's what the Lord's Prayer has been praying for all this long while!

Another word for that is "the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary" (Dan. 8:14), a phrase that makes sense only if it is understood as the cleansing of the hearts of God's people from all sin, known and also unknown. The honor and vindication of Christ in the "great controversy with Satan" is involved in thus establishing "the kingdom." That is our true motivation, something that transcends our concern for saving our own poor little souls.

That includes the healing of the wound that Lucifer's rebellion and Adam and Eve's sin in joining with the great rebel, have caused.

Praying the Lord's Prayer constantly reminds you and me of the privilege we have of a part in bringing the great controversy to a close.

In fact, when we pray the Lord's Prayer we find we can't wait so we can get back to work to do what we can to help in the great crisis now going on.

Our part in the "great controversy" may be small; but the Lord does not "despise the day of small things" (Zech. 4:10). God delights in blessing you when you share a New Covenant truth with someone discouraged and confused. This helps fulfill the Lord's Prayer which says, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

--Paul E. Penno

Endnote:
[1] Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 2, p. 377.

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3DF_-8KcfM

Many of Pastor Penno's sermons are on YouTube in Spanish. Just type pastor paul penno en español in the search bar.

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 3: Seeing People Through Jesus' Eyes

Lesson 3: Seeing People Through Jesus' Eyes

 

About 20 years ago there was a Christian movement that identified itself by wearing jewelry and bracelets with "WWJD?" on them--"What Would Jesus Do?" The idea was that the wearer was declaring that their actions and words took place with this question foremost in their minds. If presented with a situation, they would ask themselves: what would Jesus do if He were confronted with this problem?

The biggest problem that Jesus ever faced was the rebellion of His creatures when Adam and Eve sinned by listening to the Enemy and turning their backs on their Maker. It was not an insurmountable problem, neither was it a problem which the Godhead was unprepared to meet. The problem was promptly answered by Jesus Himself. "I will put enmity [intense hatred] between you [Satan] and My beloved. They have turned their backs on Me now, but they will come to realize the intensity of My eternal love for them, and they will return to Me." That is His promise to all who will believe.

Jesus looked with pity upon His deceived human friends, and with His divine arm He encircled them in His embrace of love. Forgiveness was immediate, even though Adam did not ask for it. "As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour." The death penalty did not fall on Adam because "the instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, 'Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man's place. He shall have another chance.'" [1] Adam well knew the punishment for sinning; the death penalty was clearly presented to him by God Himself. "In the day that you eat of this tree, you will die." (Gen. 2:17).

What would Jesus do when His children rebelled against Him? He laid down His life for them. "Let the punishment fall on Me, so that man can have another chance." Each and every human being ever born into this world was born because of the gift of Jesus' death for them. In theological terms this is called "legal justification" and it took place "as soon as there was sin" in this world through Adam's fall. The human race was placed on a second probation to see how, individually, we would handle the gift of God's Son. Through His death Jesus redeemed the human race. "He has bought us; and having bought us, He has broken every bond that hindered us from serving Him. If we but believe, we have the victory that has overcome the world. 1 John 5:4; John 16:33." [2]

Jesus saved us from the just penalty of the broken law that demanded the death of the sinner. He did this by "being made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13). "Sin can have no dominion over us if we accept Christ in truth and without reserve. This was just as much present truth in the days of Abraham, Moses, David, and Isaiah, as it is today." [3]

In the Garden that fateful day when Adam sinned, victory was obtained for the whole human race through the promise of God's everlasting covenant which is the eternal promise that the Son of God would lay down His life to save us. "This victory, in its fullness, is free to every soul in Christ Jesus. It is received by faith in Jesus. It is accomplished and maintained by 'the faith of Jesus,' which He wrought out in perfection, and has given to every believer in Him. For 'this is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith.'" [4]

When we "see people through Jesus' eyes" we will see that they are saved by His precious blood. They are already one of God's children, destined for the eternal kingdom. All were "chosen before the foundation of the world" as "adopted children in Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:4, 5). There is no difference in race, social position in life, male or female, Jew or Gentile. All were included in that promise to place enmity in our hearts against sin and Satan so that we might learn to appreciate the gift of God's love for us, demonstrated through His Son, who laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13; Rom. 5:10).

This being the truth, it is our responsibility as God's witnesses to declare to all who have not heard this good news that they already have forgiveness for their sins. No one is asked to make himself "good" before he can come to God. No one is capable of "making himself good." That is an impossibility. We are all "without strength" and completely incapable of making ourselves any better than we are: "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked" (Rev. 3:17).

Jesus' mission was to save the world, and salvation comes only through His compassion and love. "At the time of Christ's first advent the world was in a terrible condition. Men were being controlled by satanic agencies. The Majesty of heaven looked with pity on the human race. He saw that Satan was gaining control of the bodies and minds of men, and Christ knew that He alone could break the enemy's power. It was because of this that He laid off His kingly crown and royal robe, and clothing His divinity with humanity, came to our world to meet the powers of darkness, and to hold in check the forces of Satan. This was His work. A counter-working influence, coming from the highest authority, was to hold the enemy in check, and resist his power." [5]

"The Lord wants everyone to be saved, and that with the very fullness of salvation. And therefore He has given to every one of us the very fullness of grace, because it is grace that brings salvation. For it is written, 'The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,' Titus 2:11. Thus the Lord wants all to be saved, and therefore He gave all of His grace, bringing salvation to all." [6]

If ever there was powerful good news, this is it! "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:19, 20). God has already done what is necessary for the salvation of the whole human race. Our assignment as God's ambassadors is to bring this good news to the people we come into contact with on a daily basis.

--Ann Walper

Endnotes:
[1] Ellen G. White, Letter 22, Feb. 13, 1900.
[2] E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 13; CFI ed. (2016).
[3] Ibid., p. 66.
[4] A. T. Jones, Review and Herald, Oct. 2, 1900; cf. Gal. 2:16, 20; Rom. 12:3.
[5] Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, January 21, 1909.
[6] A. T. Jones, Review and Herald, April 17, 1894.

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMUp5ehWZ6Q

Many of Pastor Penno's sermons are on YouTube in Spanish. Just type pastor paul penno en español in the search bar.

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 1: Why Witness?

Lesson 1: Why Witness?

 

When we are changed by the grace of God, charmed by His matchless love, and redeemed by the power of Christ, we cannot be silent. We long to tell the story of Christ with others.

Let's spend a few weeks looking at each lesson during this quarter in the light of the 1888 message which God has given us to give to the world.

The Bible tells us that God would very much like for everyone to go to heaven, because He "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Christ "gave Himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:3-6). The Father and the Son personally love each person on earth, no matter how much he may have sinned. The Holy Spirit says to each one, "Come" (Revelation 22:17).

The idea that Christ is running the special "shop" of salvation here, and He stays inside like a shopkeeper until the sinner takes the initiative to come seek Him out, is not what the Bible says! We must mention two reasons for this:

First, Christ is the Good Shepherd who does not wait for the lost sheep to try to find its way home again; He always goes in search of it: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). The lost sheep may be lost out on the hills on a wild, stormy night; no matter. The Good Shepherd leaves His "ninety and nine" and at the risk of His own life goes out in the wildest storm imaginable through the mountains "until He find it" He goes "after that which is lost, until He find it" (Luke 15:4).

Second, "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Don't imagine that you can save yourself, or that you have grown up on the right side of the railroad tracks so you are naturally almost saved on your own; if the Lord were to leave us to ourselves, we would be hopelessly lost.

Think of a shepherd of sheep; he has had a hard day, he is tired and hungry; his wife has cooked his favorite roast for supper; but as he counts his sheep, he finds that one is not there; it's out somewhere in the mountains.

A wild storm is brewing; she says, "Come and rest and eat your supper, you have 99 sheep, are they not enough for you?"

But he can't rest and eat; one sheep is lost.

So out in the wild storm he goes, maybe looking all night, cold and hungry; he must find that one sheep!

And who is it? You personally, and me personally.

No human being can possibly believe until first of all he hears the good news. You cannot originate faith within yourself apart from understanding God's love. No one has a self-starter. We cannot make our own atonement apart from the revelation of Christ.

Even faith itself is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher ... [of] glad tidings of good things! ... Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:14-17).

The moment you hear the smallest beginning of that good news, make a choice immediately to believe it. Don't delay even a moment.

The evangelist who has understood "the third angel's message in verity" (the 1888 message) has the glorious privilege of being the one who tells it so it grips hearts. He forgets himself; he is caught up in the whirlwind of the Holy Spirit, whether his audience is large or small. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:27, 28; compare Song of Solomon 4:15).

This glorious final movement began at the 1888 General Conference Session at Minneapolis, but it was disliked, shoved away, and "in a great degree" rejected and "kept away" from both "our people" and "from the world." [1]

Doesn't it make good sense to recover the message as the "messengers," A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner, brought it, the ones who were given "heavenly credentials"?

When the gospel is presented in the light of the great cosmic Day of Atonement, and the truths of the cross shine clearly, Pentecost can be repeated. The apostles brought to the people the conviction that they had crucified their Lord of glory, and yet there was forgiveness for them. Then only they could truly fear the Lord.

In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, the apostle Paul notes that some people think he's crazy for wearing himself out in service for Jesus; (he calls himself "a slave of Jesus Christ" Romans 1:1), but he explains that a new motivation has possessed him. "The love of Christ constraineth us." And it's not a shallow sentimentalism, for he says "we judge thus, that if One died for all, then all died" (New King James Version).

That's a reasonable, common-sense deduction! One-dying-for-all means that if One had not so died, all would be dead. (He clearly saw that the "death" Jesus died was his own second death.) And from that common-sense deduction, Paul's soul is moved with such total gratitude that "henceforth" he can no longer live unto himself; "I am crucified with Christ" becomes his daily heart-choice. No ugly fear clouds the pure flame of his devotion. He is a "slave" of love, a heart appreciation of what it cost the Son of God to save him from hell itself.

--Paul E. Penno

Endnote:
[1] Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, pp. 234, 235.

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYjlsN2IDNg

Many of Pastor Penno's sermons are on YouTube in Spanish. Just type pastor paul penno en español in the search bar.

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz