THE FIRST 15.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20

Revelation 3:20 reveals amazing insight into the relationship God desires with us, his crown of creation. In it Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Do you know that God wants to be friends with you? Just as a friend would ask you out to a meal, God longs to spend time with you. Every day God is knocking on the door of your heart. If you are willing to open your heart to him and listen, you can spend time with God in ways more boundless and satisfying than you could with any other friend.

Where in your life do you need God’s friendship today? John 15:15 says, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” The story of the gospel is God losing relationship with the crown of his creation, you and me, and through the death of Jesus gaining restored relationship with us. He has been working tirelessly from the very first sin just to be able to call you and me friends again. What you desire from friends around you is completely available to you in God and to even greater depths!

If you need a friend to talk to, God is standing at the door of your heart asking to come in and listen—“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” If you need advice, the Holy Spirit who authored Scripture is waiting to reveal to you the wisdom of God—“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). If you need to laugh, God longs to bring you unfathomable joy—“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:1-3).

You have a best friend in God. He is not distant. What was true for the psalmist in Psalm 73:23-26 is true for us, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Spend time in God’s presence today. Listen to him knocking on the door of your heart and invite him to come in and meet with you. Let his friendship heal the broken places of your heart that need his love. He offers himself freely to you today. He’s gone to unimaginable lengths to be able to simply spend time with you. Lay the table of your heart bare before him, and let his smile restore to you the joy of your salvation.

1. Spend some time meditating on God’s desire for friendship with you.

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

2. Open your heart to God and receive his presence. Receive the peace and joy that comes from being in the presence of your heavenly Father.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

3. Spend time simply enjoying your friendship with God. Talk to him about anything you desire. Receive his joy over you.

“…I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:23-26

Friendships aren’t built in a day, but over lifetimes. You have all of eternity to spend getting to know God. After spending consistent time with him, he truly will become your best friend. He will be the person you run to when you have a problem. He will be the source of your joy, peace, and life. Every day, you have the choice to do life with God or on your own. And you have an enemy working to lead you to choose the latter. The more consistently you spend time with God, the easier that decision will become. Once you know the goodness and reality of God there is no going back. Enjoy God today. Walk in the abundant life of restored relationship with him. Answer his call whenever he knocks on the door of your heart. There is no better way you could choose to spend your days and no better friend than God.

Extended Reading: John 15

THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL.
Stop to Consider.

By Jenni Poling

April 17th, 2026

“Go to the ant you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

Proverbs 6:6-8

Ants fascinate me. They are an amazing example of industriousness and societal harmony. Ants have some very specialized means of communication, defense, nest building, and gathering food. They leave trails and communicate through touch, and their jaws can pinch and catapult. Some ants sting, too. In fact, a bullet ant sting is considered more painful than any other insect sting.

Some ants nest in the ground while others nest in trees. Some make bivouac nests using their own bodies. Some make nests of leaves, using leverage from "bridges" of their own bodies and fastening the leaf edges together with silk from their larvae. Some ants will clear a patch of all vegetation, except for their preferred nesting trees.

There are leaf-cutter ants that chew up leaves to grow fungus as a food source. Some keep aphids, mealy bugs, or caterpillars for "livestock," feeding on the honeydew they produce. Some even chew up grain to make something like bread.

My curiosity was aroused one day when I encountered a stream of ants crossing the road. It didn't seem as orderly as a normal ant trail, but they were milling about in a path six to eight inches wide. I snapped a few photos with my phone and submitted them to a nature identification app, and I was stunned when I found out they were slave-raider ants! They invade the nests of other closely related ants and steal their eggs or larvae, forcing them to work in their colonies. These ants become so dependent that they can no longer feed themselves.

How could this exist? I believe it is evidence of the enemy at work, for these ants are certainly not the example they should be. But perhaps there is still something we can learn from them. Comparing ant life with human experience, we can see that beyond the evil of stealing the lives of others, beyond oppression and cruelty, there is another insidious evil—the loss of self-reliance. You see, a slave has no vested interest in how a job is done since they don't reap any benefit or reward for doing it well. The slave-holder is perhaps even worse off because considering all manual labor to be beneath them, they lose their capacity to do it. Like the raider ants, they can't even take care of themselves.

Unfortunately, slavery is not, as some might suppose, a thing of the past. Slavery has taken myriad forms and exists wherever strength, ability, and virtue are stolen from another. It exists where oppression controls and keeps others in subjection. It steals from the past, present, and future.

So what is the cure? The Bible points to a solution in Philippians 2:3: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” We must stand together, respecting every other as a part of the fabric of society and beloved of God. Prepare to stand in your place today.

GUIDELINES FOR LIVING.
April 17th, 2026

Avoid These 3 Attitudes Toward Money at All Costs!

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

When hard times come, everyone looks for a scapegoat: blame tough times on the economy, or the government, or a mate whose use of credit cards has been less than frugal. Whether it is an organization, a church, a business, or a family, when the cash flow begins to dry up, there has to be a cause—a reason for the problem. Somebody, or something, has to be responsible, so the search for blame gets underway.

We tell each other, “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t spent so much money, our finances wouldn’t be in the shape they’re in.” Blaming someone else may point out why there’s too much debt and too little money, but it doesn’t cause the problem to go away. It only defines it.

Whether it is your government, your church, or your family, there is a common fault today. We’re borrowing from the future to pay yesterday’s bills, and sooner or later, a day of reckoning has to be faced.

Borrowing is like exhaling a bit more than you inhale, which may be possible for a few brief moments, but it’s bound to produce fatigue and eventual collapse. Nature is not as forgiving as our economic system.

When I was with a director of a national bank in a developing country where inflation hovered around 40%, I asked, “How can things continue like this?” He simply smiled and said, “It’s easy; we just print more money.” Now, a government may print more money, weakening its currency and avoiding facing the reality of debt, but you can’t escape the stark reality of debt in your family by doing the same thing.

You have two choices: (1) Bring your spending into line with your income, or (2) Increase your cash flow. Borrowing money is not the solution. Like an alcoholic stupor, it only sedates the conscience and postpones the moment of truth.

Scores of people, as well as institutions, hope to outlive their problem; few actually do. Scripture says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).

Today, our economic problems are the result of three fatal attitudes: Fatal mistake #1: Thinking that borrowing more money is the solution to my problem. An economic professor who filed for bankruptcy was interviewed on TV by a reporter. The reporter asked him how he got into financial trouble when he knew better. His reply: “It was my credit cards. I kept thinking I would catch up with them, but they caught up with me.” Excessive debt is not only displeasing to the Lord, but it will ruin you financially.

Fatal mistake #2: Thinking I’ve got to have it now. Indulgence is dynamite; it can destroy you. Learn to sift through your wants from your needs, and realize God’s promise of provision extends only to your needs, not your wishes or your wants. The concept of “small beginnings which grow” seems to have been forgotten. The attitude: “I’ve got to have it now,” is selfish as well as dangerous.

Fatal mistake #3: Ignorance. An interview of several thousand people who were in deep financial trouble revealed the vast majority of them didn’t know how much they owed or how much interest they were paying on their debt. When Paul wrote, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another” (Romans 13:8), he meant exactly what he said. It is still good economics today.

Resource reading: Proverbs 22:1-9

THE 28 FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS.
28 Beleifs # 17

SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND MINISTRIES

God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts that each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each member as He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the church to fulfill its divinely ordained functons. According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for the help and encouragement of people. Some members are called of God and endowed by the Spirit for functions recognized by the church in pastoral, evangelistic, and teaching ministries particularly needed to equip the members for service, to build up the church to spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God. When members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God’s varied grace, the church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows with a growth that is from God, and is built up in faith and love.

MY DAILY WITNESS
Jesus loves you so much that HE died for you, and Rose from the dead for you, and now desperately longs to have a personal relationship with you, will you accept Him into your heart and life today, as your Savior, and King? repent of sin in your life, and live for HIM, and let Him live through you.

For God so loved the world, that HE gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

After accepting Jesus as your Savior, show your love for HIM by keeping His Commandments.

"If you love me keep my commandments". John 14:15.

ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR, REPENT OF SIN IN YOUR LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, INCLUDING THE 4TH COMMANDMENT (THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH).

FOR JESUS CHRIST IS SOON RETURNING, AND HIS REWARD IS WITH HIM, SOME TO EVERLASTING LIFE, SOME TO EVERLASTING DEATH!!!!!
Revelation 12:14
Revelation 22:12
Daniel 12:2

DID YOU KNOW?
Jesus is going to fix what you’ve been worrying about.

Some worries have been sitting beside you so long they almost feel like part of the furniture—like the old chair by the window where you’ve prayed for children, marriages, health reports, and bills. Many women in the Boomer generation know what it is to carry a family in prayer while keeping supper warm, showing up faithfully at church, and holding everyone else together. But Jesus never asked you to carry tomorrow by yourself.

His invitation is tender and direct: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV). Not because your concerns are small, but because His love is large. What has kept you awake at 3 a.m. has not slipped past the Lord. He sees the wayward child, the strained relationship, the uncertain diagnosis, the tight budget, the lonely season, the prayer that seems delayed.

Jesus is not wringing His hands over what concerns you. He is already present in it. He is working in places you cannot yet see, softening hearts, opening doors, arranging timing, strengthening you for today, and preparing peace for tomorrow. Sometimes He fixes things by changing the situation. Sometimes He fixes them by changing us in the middle of it—steadying our hearts, renewing our hope, and reminding us that we are never abandoned.

So breathe again. Sit with Him a little longer. Let His words settle your spirit: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV). The same Savior who has brought you through every previous season will be faithful in this one too. What you have been worrying about is not beyond His reach. Jesus is able, attentive, and already at work.

BIBLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS # 165
Section 15- Admonitions and Warnings.

CHAPTER 165, Covetousness.

1. What warning did Christ give concerning covetousness?

"And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Luke 12:15.

2. What commandment forbids this sin?

"Thou shalt not covet." Ex. 20:17. Covetous: "Inordinately desirous; excessively eager to obtain and possess (especially money); avaricious."- Webster.

3. What showed this principle to have been strong in the rich man who already had abundance?

"And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Luke 12:18,19.

4. What did God say to him?

"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Verse 20.

5. What application of this parable did the Saviour make?

"So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Verse 21.

6. What does Paul call covetousness?

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Col. 3:5.

NOTE.- "Do not wade far out into the dangerous sea of this world's comfort. Take the good that God provides you, but say of it, 'It passeth away;' for indeed it is but a temporary supply for a temporary need. Never suffer your goods to become your god."- Spurgeon.

7. What do these sins bring upon mankind?

"For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." Verse 6.

8. What double service did Christ say is impossible?

"Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Luke 16:13.

9. Of what sin were the Pharisees guilty?

"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him." Verse 14.

10. What reply did Christ make?

"And He said unto them, Ye, are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Verse 15.

11. How does the Lord regard the covetous?

"For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." Ps. 10:3.

12. What did this sin lead Achan to do?

"When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold, . . . I coveted them, and took them." Joshua 7:21.

13. What did covetousness lead Judas to do?

"And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray Him unto them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Him." Mark 14:10,11.

14. Why are the last days to be perilous?

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers." 2 Tim. 3:1,2.

15. What parable did Christ give to correct the false idea of the Pharisees that wealth was a sign of special favor with God?

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 16: 19-31.

16. What did He point out as one of the dangers of the possession of wealth?

"And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto His disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! . . . Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!" Mark 10:23,24.

NOTE.- And how hard it is for those who have riches not to trust in them!

17. As a rule, what class generally accept the gospel?

"Harken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?" James 2:5.

18. How difficult did Christ say it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God?

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Mark 10:25.

NOTE.- If Christ here referred to a small, low gate in the walls of Jerusalem, called "The Needle's Eye," as is thought by some, the force of the statement still remains; for, before a camel could pass through this gate, it was necessary that he should be relieved of his burden, and get down on his knees and creep through.

19. Why was the rich young man desiring salvation, unwilling to sell what he had and give alms, as Christ told him to do?

"But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Matt. 19:16.

20. What is the love of money declared to be?

"For the love of money is the root of all evil." 1 Tim. 6:10.

21. What evils befall those who are determined to be rich?

"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." Verse 9.

22. Who gives man the power to get wealth?

"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth." Deut. 8:18.

23. How may all, rich and poor, honor God?

"Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase." Prov. 3:9.

24. What caution is given concerning riches?

"If riches increase, set not your heart upon them." Ps. 62:10.

25. Can riches be retained to men's hurt?

"There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt." Eccl. 5:13.

26. What charge is given to the rich?

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." 1 Tim. 6:17-19.

27. What makes rich without adding sorrow?

"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it." Prov. 10:22.

28. How are true riches obtained?

"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life." Prov. 22:4

29. How did Moses esteem the reproach of Christ?

"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Heb. 11:26.

30. What two classes of rich men are mentioned in the Bible?

"There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches." Prov. 13:7.

NOTE.- In Luke 12:16-20 is an example of the first class; in Acts 4:34-37 are examples of the second.

31. What solemn warning is addressed to the rich who, in the last days, have heaped up treasure, and oppressed the poor?

"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter." James 5:1-5.

32. Will silver or gold be able to deliver in the day of wrath?

"Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath." Zeph. 1:18. See also Prov. 11:4.

33. What will the rich men do with their money then?

"They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumbling-block of their iniquity." Eze. 7:19.

NOTES.- When the steamer "Central America," with nearly six hundred passengers aboard, was wrecked off Cape Hatteras, Sept. 12, 1857, in a fearful storm, many of the passengers who were returning miners from the gold-mines of California, divested themselves of their treasure belts and scattered the gold upon the cabin floors, telling those to take it who would, lest its weight about their persons should carry them to their death. "Full purses, containing in some instances thousands of dollars, lay around untouched. Carpetbags were opened, and the shining metal was poured out on the floor with the prodigality of death's despair. One of the passengers opened a bag and dashed about the cabin twenty thousand dollars in gold-dust, and told him who wanted to gratify his greed for gold to take it. But it was passed by untouched, as the veriest dross."- "Our first Century," pages 642,643.

When the steamship "Arctic" was lost from a collision in mid-ocean, Sept. 20, 1854, one passenger offered thirty thousand pounds sterling, or one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, if the life-boats would put back to save him. They turned to do so, but he sank before they reached him.- Id., page 614.

34. As stewards of God's gifts, what are we told to do?

"And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." Luke 16:9. "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10.IS NOT the way to heavenly gain

Through earthly grief and loss? Rest must be won by toil and pain;

The crown repays the cross.

HENRY F. LYTE.

I would like to thank God for using the Bible Reading for the Home Circle to bless millions of souls. To the author and original producer, (though in truth and reality it's God's).

THE ADVENT TRUTH.
The Bible does not present itself as one authority among many.
It presents itself as the final authority.

Scripture claims to be God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), sufficient to make the believer “complete” (v.17), and the measuring rod by which every teaching, experience, and spiritual claim must be tested. Jesus Himself appealed to Scripture with the words, “It is written”—not tradition, not feeling, not majority opinion.

The Bereans were called noble because they tested even apostolic preaching by the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). Isaiah declared, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). The Bible leaves no room for a competing authority.

What’s often misunderstood is that Ellen G. White did not weaken this principle—she reinforced it.

She consistently taught that the Bible alone is the rule of faith and practice. She explicitly rejected the idea that her writings should replace Scripture or be used as a shortcut around Bible study. Instead, she pointed people back to the Word as the standard of character, doctrine, and experience.

Her role was not to add truth, but to call attention to neglected truth already found in Scripture—much like Nathan, Elijah, or John the Baptist. She warned that any experience, vision, or spiritual impression that contradicts the Bible is not from God, no matter how convincing it feels.

That’s why this quote matters.

It doesn’t elevate a human voice—it elevates God’s voice.
It doesn’t ask for blind acceptance—it demands testing.
And it places Scripture where it belongs: above tradition, above emotion, above leaders, above us.

If your faith can’t survive being tested by the Bible, then the problem isn’t the Bible.

THE ADVENT TRUTH.
The Bible does not present itself as one authority among many.
It presents itself as the final authority.

Scripture claims to be God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), sufficient to make the believer “complete” (v.17), and the measuring rod by which every teaching, experience, and spiritual claim must be tested. Jesus Himself appealed to Scripture with the words, “It is written”—not tradition, not feeling, not majority opinion.

The Bereans were called noble because they tested even apostolic preaching by the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). Isaiah declared, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). The Bible leaves no room for a competing authority.

What’s often misunderstood is that Ellen G. White did not weaken this principle—she reinforced it.

She consistently taught that the Bible alone is the rule of faith and practice. She explicitly rejected the idea that her writings should replace Scripture or be used as a shortcut around Bible study. Instead, she pointed people back to the Word as the standard of character, doctrine, and experience.

Her role was not to add truth, but to call attention to neglected truth already found in Scripture—much like Nathan, Elijah, or John the Baptist. She warned that any experience, vision, or spiritual impression that contradicts the Bible is not from God, no matter how convincing it feels.

That’s why this quote matters.

It doesn’t elevate a human voice—it elevates God’s voice.
It doesn’t ask for blind acceptance—it demands testing.
And it places Scripture where it belongs: above tradition, above emotion, above leaders, above us.

If your faith can’t survive being tested by the Bible, then the problem isn’t the Bible.

STORACALS OF PROPHECY.
Hello friends, family, and my brothers, and sisters in Christ.

This is Brother Johnny Gass.

Welcome to Bible study.

Study to show thyself to approved unto God, a Workman unashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Please share these lessons with everyone you know for the expansion of the kingdom of God.

A Tale of Two Women.

A hush fell over the royal judgment hall, and all eyes were fixed on King Solomon. His servants wondered how the young monarch would resolve this perplexing case. Two single mothers were sharing a room, and each gave birth to a baby boy at about the same time. During the night, one of the mothers had accidentally turned over and smothered her son. When she awoke early and saw her child was cold and still, the distraught woman took her roommate's sleeping baby to herself and laid her dead baby in its place. Later the other mother awoke, saw the dead baby, and began to wail with grief. But after examining the infant, she quickly realized that it was not her child. Across the room, she could see her roommate tightly clutching her baby. Now both women stood before the king, tugging for possession of the living infant. "This child is mine!" one shouted. "No, the dead baby was yours!" the other countered. How would the king determine which was the true mother? Solomon interrupted their debate and told a guard to take a sword and divide the living infant in two. At first the soldier thought the king was jesting, but Solomon began to glare at the guard's hesitation. Slowly he drew his sharp, gleaming sword and made his way toward the woman holding the baby. Suddenly the true mother threw herself at the king's feet and pleaded,?"Let her have the child, but please do not slay it!" But the other woman said, "Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it." Now Solomon knew without a doubt who was the true mother. In prophecy, a woman is a symbol of a church (Jeremiah 6:2). With so many churches in the last days, how can we distinguish the true, last-day church that has the living Son from the counterfeits? Like Solomon, we must use the sword of God's Word (Hebrews 4:12)!

1. How does Revelation picture God's true church?

Revelation 12:1, 2, 5. A _______ clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. ... And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: In Bible prophecy, God's church is symbolized by a pure woman (Jeremiah 6:2). In Revelation 12, this woman is clothed with the sun, moon, and stars--the natural light of God's creation. Jesus told the church, "Ye are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14. The sun represents the light of Jesus (Psalms 84:11; Malachi 4:2). The moon under her feet represents the types and shadows of the Old Testament sacrificial system. As the moon reflects the light of the sun, so the sacrificial system was helpful because it reflected the light of the Messiah to come (Colossians 2:16, 17; Hebrews 10:1). The 12 stars above her head symbolize the leadership of the

church--12 tribes in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament. The one who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron is Jesus (Psalms 2:7-9; Revelation 19:13-16).

2. Who is the "great red dragon," and what does he try to do?

Revelation 12:9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and _______.

Revelation 12:4 The dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: The dragon is Satan, who at the time of Jesus' birth was working through the pagan Roman Empire. Satan influenced Herod, a ruler under Rome, to try to murder baby Jesus by killing all the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).

3. What happens after Satan fails to destroy Jesus?

Revelation 12:5. And her child was caught __ unto God, and to his throne.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: After His resurrection, Jesus ascended up to heaven and to God's throne (Acts 1:9-11), where He was beyond the reach of Satan.

4. After Jesus was caught up to heaven, what did Satan do to the church?

Revelation 12:13. When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he ________ the woman which brought forth the man child.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: When Satan could no longer vent his hatred on Jesus, he decided to hurt Jesus by turning his fury against the church.

5. Where did the woman go during this terrifying period of persecution? How long did it last?

Revelation 12:6. And the woman fled into the _________, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: The woman (God's church) fled into the wilderness (the remote places of earth) to hide from her enemies. It is a well-known historical fact that during the Dark Ages, God's people fled to the caves and solitary places of earth, including the shores of America, to seek religious freedom and protection from papal persecution. The 1,260 days (also described in the Bible as 42 months or as three and a half years) refers to the terrible 1,260-year period of persecution during which millions died for their faith. During this time period, God's church was alive but was not identifiable as an official, visible organization. (See the supplement entitled "Years of Persecution.")

6. What are two other identifying marks of God's true church?

Revelation 12:17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the ____________ of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: God's remnant church, into which He is calling all His people, will keep God's Ten Commandments (including the Sabbath). It will also have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit, or gift, of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). God calls His end-time church "the remnant," because it is identical in doctrine and characteristics to the apostolic church. A "remnant" is the last remaining portion of a bolt of cloth. It is exactly like the first piece from the same bolt.

7. How did Jesus say that we demonstrate our love for Him?

John 14:15. If ye love me, _____ my commandments.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we __________ his commandments.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: In our opening story, Solomon was able to identify the true mother by her genuine display of love. In the same way, God's true church will be recognized by its sacrificial love and its willingness to obey His commandments.

8. What three angelic messages will God's end-time church be preaching?

Revelation 14:7. Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his ___________ is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Revelation 14:9, 10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: These three angelic statements represent the three urgent messages that God's church will preach before Jesus returns.

9. To whom will God's church preach these messages?

Revelation 14:6. Having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to _____ nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: God's end-time church will preach this great three-point message to every nation on earth.

10. What specifications has God given in His Word to help us positively identify His end-time church?

Revelation 12:17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the ______ of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

1. It will appear and do its visible work after it emerges from the wilderness in 1798 (Revelation 12:6, 13-17).

2. It will teach the same truths the apostles taught, and all of its teachings will agree with the Bible (Revelation 12:17).

3. It will keep the Ten Commandments, including the Bible Sabbath (Revelation 12:17).

4. It will have the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 12:17; 19:10).

5. It will proclaim God's three end-time messages with a loud voice (Revelation 14:6-14).

6. It will be a worldwide movement (Revelation 14:6).

7. It will teach the everlasting gospel, which is salvation through Jesus Christ alone (Revelation 14:6).

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Many lovely Christians are members of churches that do not meet the above seven specifications. However, no such church can be God's remnant into which He is calling all His sincere children, because His end-time church must meet all seven specifications.

11. Jesus gives you these seven prophetic identification points and then says, "Go and find My church." What does He promise regarding your search?

Luke 11:9. Seek, and ye shall ______.

Answer : ____________________

12. How many church organizations in the world will fit these seven points?

Ephesians 4:5. One Lord, one _____, one baptism.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Only one church in the entire world fits all of these specifications--the Seventh-day Adventist church, which is bringing you these seminar messages. It is right now preaching the great three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12 all over the world. Millions are responding.

13. Many denominations call themselves Christian. Does that make them God's true church?

Isaiah 4:1. And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own _______ and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Bread is a symbol of the Word of God (John 6:35, 51, 52, 63), and apparel is a symbol of righteousness (Revelation 19:8). The seven women in this prophecy have their own bread (concept of truth) and want to keep their own clothing (righteousness). They do not want the spotless robes of Christ's righteousness. All they want is to take the name of Jesus, probably because the Bible says, "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

14. Once a person discovers God's true end-time church, is it necessary to become a member?

Acts 2:47. And the Lord _____ to the church daily such as should be saved.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Yes, membership in God's end-time church is imperative. Notice how clearly God answers this question about membership:

--We are all called into one body (Colossians 3:15).

--That body is the church (Colossians 1:18).

--We enter that body by baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13).

It is just as imperative to enter God's church today as it was to enter the ark in Noah's day. The Lord says, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark." Genesis 7:1.

15. How many ways of escape were there in Noah's day?

Hebrews 11:7. By faith Noah ... prepared an ___ to the saving of his house.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Jesus says that the time just before His second coming will be like Noah's day (Luke 17:26). There will be only one way of escape, just as there was only one ark in Noah's day.

16. Since there are many faithful Christians in other churches and since God has only one true remnant, what will happen to these sincere Christians?

John 10:16. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall _____ my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Revelation 18:2, 4 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. ... come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Jesus will call all of His faithful, honest followers to come out of Babylon. They will hear His voice, respond, and enter His one true, end-time church.

17. Jesus is calling you today to enter the safety of His great end-time church. You are very precious to Him. Will you respond now to His call?

Answer : ____________________

Supplemental Study

Years of Persecution
The 1,260 years of tribulation is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible, because historically it was the worst ever to face God's people (Matthew 24:21). It is referred to as 1,260 days, 42 months, and three and one-half times, or years (Revelation 12:6, 14 13:5 Daniel 7:25). Using the Jewish calendar, which had 360 days in a year, all three add up to the same amount of time - 1,260 years. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6 Numbers 14:34).

History clearly shows that the papacy was the power which persecuted for 1,260 years. The period began in A.D. 538, when papal power became supreme in Christendom according to the decree of Roman Emperor Justinian. In it, he acknowledged the bishop of Rome as the head of all churches. This letter became a part of Justinian's Code, the fundamental law of the empire. The period ended in 1798 when Napoleon's general, Alexander Berthier, took the pope captive. At least 50 million Christians died for their faith during this period of persecution.

Three Crucial Points
Three facts of utmost importance to God's people are established in Revelation 12:10-12. These facts are:

1. Jesus defeated Satan, the accuser of the brethren, at the cross.

2. All of us can overcome him through the blood of Jesus and by sharing our testimonies.

3. The devil is infuriated because he knows that his time is short. We cannot expect him to behave like a gentleman. He is our bitterest enemy.

The message is that Jesus, who has defeated Satan, offers His matchless power to us as a free gift. With Jesus' power in our lives, we cannot fail. Satan's fury need not affect us. He is a defeated foe. He was defeated in the war in heaven and cast out. He was defeated by Jesus at the cross and lost his dominion. He will be defeated legally in his case in the judgment, and he will again be defeated when he attacks God's holy city. Finally, he will suffer the defeat of being blotted from the face of the earth in the lake of fire. And, most wonderful of all, Jesus promises that he will be defeated in his bitter fight to destroy you and me. What a tremendous message of hope from Jesus!

To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Sabbath, please visit your local Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Or please visit us at Rossville Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 1737 Mission Ridge Road, Rossville Georgia 30741

Pastor; Greg Hudson

Services start at 11am on Saturday (Sabbath) morning.