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    Sabbath School with Branch Davidians

    We present or expound on a principle or belief related to the SDA Sabbath School quarterly each week. We invite you to visit our website www.bdsda.com to learn more about who we are and, just as important, who we are not. Tune in each week for new and interesting insights to your Sabbath School studies.
    enMary Zebrowski100 Episodes

    Episodes (100)

    Do Types Control Our Destiny?

    Do Types Control Our Destiny?

    In today's study, we discuss the main principle behind prophetic symbolism and typology that will help us understand how and why they are used, and that even hopefully will help us understand God's character a little better.

    Did God to purposely make someone's life terrible, like Hagar's, just so that people of a later generation could enjoy the benefit of a typological symbol? Are types and anti-types some kind of pre-planned design of God's that is just playing itself out? Do types control our actions or our destiny, or is our destiny in our own hands? Join us for a study into the principles behind types and symbols in scripture.

     

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 9, "A City Called Confusion"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

    What Does It Mean to "Keep the Sabbath Holy"?

    What Does It Mean to "Keep the Sabbath Holy"?

    This week's lesson is about the Sabbath. So, we thought we'd take the opportunity to bring some clarity to two aspects of the Sabbath: First, what the word "Sabbath" means, and second, what it means to keep it "holy."

    "Sabbath" is actually just the English pronunciation of the Hebrew word "Shabbat." In other words, the word "Sabbath" isn't actually a *translation* of the Hebrew word - it is just a way of *pronouncing* the Hebrew word. While it's cool to know that the Hebrews referred to the seventh day of the week as "Sabbath" or "Shabbat" - the downside is that this doesn't tell us what the word *means.*

    the second aspect of the sabbath we hope to bring clarity to is what it means to keep the sabbath *holy.* Holiness is one of those ideas that people often have only vague notions of. Some people seem to have the impression that "holy" simply means "related to God." Others have the idea that it means "set apart." But really, when you look at how the Hebrew word translated "holy" was used, what it really means becomes more plain.

    Join us as we look closely at scripture usage of the words "Sabbath" and the Hebrew word translated "holy" to understand their true meanings, and therefore, a deeper understanding of what remembering the Sabbath day is all about.

    For further study, please see:

    "What Work Is Lawful on the Sabbath?"
    https://youtu.be/9Sk19DxLSUg

    "What Do the New Moon and Sabbath Have in Common?"

    https://youtu.be/ruuDzXUJ3M8

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 8, "The Sabbath and the End" 

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

    Is God Beyond Time and Space?

    Is God Beyond Time and Space?

    In this study, we talk about the idea of God's transcendence and immanence; that is, the idea that God is above and beyond all creation and yet in our world at the same time. Theologians also explain it as God existing outside of space and time while also existing in every point of space and every moment of time.

    Of course, to say that God is outside of space and time is to say that God is immaterial (or, bodiless). Every bodily entity has location and a time and thus can't be in two places at once, let alone everywhere at once - unless it were to be so large as to occupy the whole universe to the exclusion of everything else. But this isn't what most people believe. Most believe God exists everywhere *and* other things exist besides God. But how could this be? Well, the thing that supposedly makes this work is that God is thought to be everywhere *not* as a body; but as something non-bodily - something non-material. 

    But could something non-material exist? The SDA pioneers didn't think so. Join us as we read from some of the pioneers writings, including both James and Ellen White, to see what they taught on this all important subject – and one of the pillars of our faith.

     

    For further study, please see our video series: 

    "The Personality of God: An SDA Pillar Doctrine."

    https://youtu.be/CJSYUSfohsQ

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 7, "Worshiping the Creator" 

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com 

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

    Ellen White on Sinlessness

    Ellen White on Sinlessness

    In the EGW notes for Friday's lesson, it is suggested we read Selected Messages, "The Claim to Sinlessness," book 3, p. 353. The last paragraph on the page reads,

    "Why is it that so many claim to be holy and sinless? It is because they are so far from Christ. I have never dared to claim any such a thing. From the time that I was 14 years old, if I knew what the will of God was, I was willing to do it. You never have heard me say I am sinless. Those that get sight of the loveliness and exalted character of Jesus Christ, who was holy and lifted up and His train fills the temple, will never say it. Yet we are to meet with those that will say such things more and more."

    So, is Ellen White saying here that we are not able to or expected to have victory over sin? Many SDAs today think yes, she is saying that. But any student of Ellen White's writings has to recognize that it is a repeated theme throughout her writings that we are both able to, and expected to, have victory over sin by the power of Christ.

    As a quick example of this, in the Review and Herald, April 1, 1902, paragraph 8, she wrote,

    "Christ came to this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power His people might also live lives of sinlessness." 

    So, here is an example of Ellen telling us that we **are** to be sinless - that in Christ's power, we **can** live lives of sinlessness like He did!

    In this study, we look closely at what Ellen was referring to by the word "sinlessness" in each of these contexts, and examine if she was in conflict with her own writings, or in conflict with the scriptures on the point of living a life of "sinlessness."

    For further study, please see:

    Justification by Faith - A Sinless Life? -

    https://youtu.be/7YGsaSd-mqA

    Freedom From Sin Indeed -

    https://youtu.be/GZf6ecBfyrA

    The Lost Gospel of Christ by Trent Wilde -

    https://youtu.be/OjvrBR3GQMg

    Even the Unsaved Will Praise His Judgments -

    https://youtu.be/9jlEfDR7bKE

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 6, "The Hour of His Judgment"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

    Even the Unsaved Will Praise God's Judgments

    Even the Unsaved Will Praise God's Judgments

    Between Revelation 5:11-14, Romans 14:10-12, and Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, it's clear that eventually everyone will be satisfied with God's judgments. Everyone will acknowledge the love of God and the righteousness of Christ - even those who don't receive salvation. How could that be?

    God's judgments are true and righteous; basically, they are correct and when all the evidence brought forward in the judgment will be laid open before all, it will be indisputable.

    What is God correct about? Well, among other things, His determination of whether someone is righteous or not.

    But will the lost confess that God is just if they can see that God has judged according to a legal fiction? Will they be convinced that God's judgments are true if people who continued to sin in their actual lives were declared to be righteous by God simply because they accepted a legal action that is pretty much a copy and paste of Jesus' record to their file?

    We encourage you to take your next opportunity to read all of 1 John. We think you'll see that the passages we've read from 1 John in this study mean just what they seem to mean - that God intends for us to have a righteousness that isn't a legal fiction, but that is a real, practical, lived-out righteousness. 

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 5, " The Good News of the Judgment "

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

     www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

    Are You God's Temple, or Are Y'All God's Temple?

    Are You God's Temple, or Are Y'All God's Temple?

    What did Paul mean by saying, "Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives (or dwells) in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16. Was Paul saying that the Holy Spirit is a disembodied immaterial "being" who actually takes up residence in each Christian's body? Or is he saying that the Holy Spirit is not a being at all, but a force or an influence that acts upon the human body to makes us do righteous things? Or did Paul mean something else?

    For further study, see:

    "What is the Spirit of Prophecy? SDA Edition," by Trent Wilde,
    http://www.bdsda.com/what-is-the-spirit-of-prophecy-sda-edition-2/

    And, "The King of Crises in the Seventh-day Adventist Church,"  by Trent Wilde, http://www.bdsda.com/the-king-of-crises-in-the-seventh-day-adventist-church-2/?highlight=king%20of%20crises

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 4, "Fear God and Give Glory to Him"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

    Is the Investigative Judgment Scriptural?

    Is the Investigative Judgment Scriptural?

    As you may know, the SDA pioneers unitedly believed and taught that the investigative judgment began at the fulfillment of the 2300 days of Dan. 8:14 in on Oct. 22, 1844. But many in the church today question this doctrine. In this study, we'll be looking at some of the scriptural evidence for the investigative judgment, and the timeframe within which scripture narrows it down to, saying nothing of the 2300 days of Daniel 8 nor the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem from Daniel 9.

    For deeper study:

    "The Judgment and the Harvest," Victor Houteff:

    http://www.bdsda.com/the-judgment-and-the-harvest/

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 3, "The Everlasting Gospel"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

    Jesus' Appearance in Revelation 14 Is Not the Second Coming

    Jesus' Appearance in Revelation 14 Is Not the Second Coming

    Most SDAs invariably know that not every mention of Jesus riding on a cloud in the bible represents the physical return of Christ to the earth. For example, we know that Daniel 7:13, in which the cloud riding Jesus goes before the Ancient of Days to receive his kingdom, does not depict the second coming of Christ to the earth, but the coming of Christ to the Ancient of days in the Heavenly Sanctuary at the commencement of the Judgment.

    So what about the mention of Jesus riding on a cloud in Revelation 14:14? Does this appearance of Christ here represent the second coming, or something else?

    In this study, we compare scripture with scripture, including Ellen White's writings, to gain a deeper understanding of what the Son of Man on a white cloud in Revelation 14 refers to, and what it isn't referring to.

    For further study, see:

    "What is the Purpose of the Special Resurrection of Daniel 12?" https://youtu.be/xxtExDNi5zQ

    "Dry Bones Extra: The Resurrection of Ezekiel 37," by Doug Mitchell:

    https://www.bdsda.com/dry-bones-extra-the-resurrection-of-ezekiel-37/?highlight=dry%20bones

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 2, "A Moment of Destiny

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.  

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

     

    What Did the Pioneers Think the Spirit of Prophecy Was?

    What Did the Pioneers Think the Spirit of Prophecy Was?

    Revelation 12:17 is the most solemn message from Jesus on how to find God's end-time church - how to know it from all others that claim to be God's church.

    We note that the remnant people "keep the commandments of God and *have,* (present tense), the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy." Now we might be inclined to assume that the Seventh-day Adventist church must be the remnant church because we "have" the writings of Ellen White, the end-time prophet. But is that what Ellen White and the pioneers thought, or what the book of Revelation itself teaches?

    For a deeper study, please see:

    "The King of Crises in the Seventh-day Adventist Church," by Trent Wilde:
    https://www.bdsda.com/the-king-of-crises-in-the-seventh-day-adventist-church-2/?highlight=king%20of%20crises

    "What is the Spirit of Prophecy? SDA Edition," by Trent Wilde:
    http://www.bdsda.com/what-is-the-spirit-of-prophecy-sda-edition-2/

    Sabbath School Q2 2023: Three Cosmic Messages - Week 1, "Jesus Wins – Satan Loses" 

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.  

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

    The Laundry Lists for the Second Death

    The Laundry Lists for the Second Death

    Revelation 21:8 is what might be called a "laundry list" of descriptions of people who will experience the second death. There are other such lists in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:5, and Galatians 5:19-21. The prophets John and Paul are basically telling us the same thing: those who practice sin will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 

    There are also "laundry lists" for those who will *not* experience the second death, like 1 Corinthians 6:11, Galatians 5:22-24, and Matthew 5:3-12. 

    The difference between these two groups? One knows Jesus, and has stopped sinning, and the other, according to 1 John 2:3-6, continues in sin and therefore does not know Jesus. 

    In this study, we look at how to really know Jesus, remain in His word, and be free indeed from sin!

    For further study,

    "She is a Tree of Life," by Doug Mitchell, http://www.bdsda.com/she-is-a-tree-of-life/

    "You Can Access the Tree of Life Today!" https://youtu.be/Kladt_TE_Jo

    "You Can Control Your Thoughts Every Moment," https://youtu.be/Ie_lpPBsNpE

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 12, "Rewards of Faithfulness"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.  

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

    What's All the Fuss About the Investigative Judgment?

    What's All the Fuss About the Investigative Judgment?

    How many Seventh-day Adventists today really understand the investigative judgment?

    Some may think, we have other doctrines more important than this doctrine of the investigative judgment, right? Do we really need to understand this doctrine in order to make it to heaven?  I mean, if Jesus' death for the sins of the world made it so all we need to do to make it to heaven is believe this, and then our sins, past, present and future are covered by the vicarious righteousness of Christ, then what is all the fuss about the investigative judgment?

    If it were the case that the standard for entering God's kingdom was vicarious righteousness, then the investigative judgment and any writings that encourage practical righteousness would be basically irrelevant. And this is a big problem for many SDAs who are under the impression that the bible prophets teach that the gospel is all about the vicarious righteousness of Christ, particularly because so many of Ellen White's writings do speak of the need for actual personal righteousness in order to enter the kingdom of God.

    In this study we look at why many are leaving the SDA faith, and fewer are joining. And just as importantly, we look at the danger sincere SDAs are in through believing in a gospel involving a vicarious righteousness of Christ, and we look at its incongruence with both Scripture and Ellen White's teachings about practical righteousness, and the investigative judgment.

     

    For further study on "Justification by Faith,"

    "The Lost gospel of Christ," by Trent Wilde: http://www.bdsda.com/home-3/the-lost-gospel-of-christ/

    "Justification by Faith," by Trent Wilde: https://youtu.be/7YGsaSd-mqA

    "Justification by Faith Through Correction:" https://youtu.be/9wbyuO1bhLQ

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 11, "Managing in Tough Times"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.  

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

     

    Security and Assurance of Receiving a Hundredfold

    Security and Assurance of Receiving a Hundredfold

    Most of us focus on the wrong things that we think we need for security – like acquiring lots of food and clothing and money. We work so hard to have money, and then we hoard it for fear that if we don't, we will be destitute someday. But Jesus tells us to not worry about these things, but to seek first the Kingdom of God. 

    Christ commanded his followers to give up their personal earthly wealth and share with their brothers and sisters in Christ (see 1 John 3:17). By living according to these Kingdom principles, no one needs to lack anything. We will be provided for in this life, and beyond that, we will gain life eternal.

    In this study we look at the security to be gained from living by Kingdom principles.

    For further study:

    "Forsaking Possessions: Jesus' Teaching Explained," https://youtu.be/2TLl0AiFtME

    "You Can Access the Tree of Life Today!" http://www.bdsda.com/you-can-access-the-tree-of-life-today/ 

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 10, "Giving Back"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.  

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

    You CAN Control Your Thoughts Every Moment

    You CAN Control Your Thoughts Every Moment

    It is incredible to me that the Ten Commandments are so comprehensive, even being our schoolmaster of thought. Covetousness is based in selfishness, and selfishness is the foundation for every other sin. As Sunday's lesson points out, covetousness could even be considered the original sin – that of Lucifer.

    Covetous thoughts are immoral. And covetous thinkers will not enter the kingdom of heaven, as the lesson for Sabbath points out, according to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. 

    In this study, we discuss the erroneous idea of "original sin," that sin is an action as stated in 1 John 3:4, and that all actions can be controlled, even the action of controlling our thoughts - Just like Jesus proved could be done while in sin-affected human flesh (Romans 8:3), just like ours. 

    For further study, see:

    "Is That a Salvation Issue?" https://youtu.be/lUXH8i6gMdE

    "Are You Minding What Matters?" by Trent Wilde, http://www.bdsda.com/are-you-minding-what-matters/

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 9, "Beware of Covetousness."

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

    Christian Success Vs. Christian Failure

    Christian Success Vs. Christian Failure

    The basic meaning of success is the achievement of an aim or a goal, and the sorts of goals people usually have in mind when talking about success have to do with bringing about some different set of circumstances in the future. If the circumstances come about, the person is considered successful while if they don't come about, the person is thought to be unsuccessful.

    John the Baptist's life seems unsuccessful from the standpoint of most ideas of success. Let's face it, no one would probably include being beheaded as an end goal or aim in life. And yet, probably none of us that are followers of Jesus would consider John the Baptist's life unsuccessful. So, what is **true** success for a follower of Christ?

    For more studies, please see:

    "What Does It Mean for the Righteous Man to Fall Seven Times?" by Trent Wilde:

    http://www.bdsda.com/what-does-it-mean-for-the-righteous-man-to-fall-seven-times/

    "Does 'Imputed Righteousness' Mean God Views Us as Righteous Even If We Are Not?":

    http://www.bdsda.com/does-imputed-righteousness-mean-god-views-us-as-righteous-even-if-we-are-not/

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 8, "Planning for Success"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.  

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

    How the Common Misunderstanding of the Gospel Actually Hurts the Poor

    How the Common Misunderstanding of the Gospel Actually Hurts the Poor

    What did Jesus do for the poor? Well, we know that not every thing He did was written down (John 21:25), but, from Matthew 11:5, we know one thing He did for the poor - He preached the gospel to them.

    The Sabbath School lesson rightly says that things like war, famine, sickness, and crime, among other things, cause poverty. And what does the gospel do to these things? Well, if received and put into practice, it will be the end of them. Basically, where there is selfishness, lust, greed, and gluttony – or any sin - there will always be these problems. Providing for the temporal needs of the poor is good, but it wont put an end to the cause of poverty: sin. The gospel is the only thing that will make a difference in any of these areas, because the gospel puts an end to sin. This is why giving to the gospel ministry, and getting the message of the gospel to the world (and living by it – putting it into practice ourselves), is the most beneficial thing we can do for the poor and for everyone.

    Sounds simple enough, and it is in reality. But it also draws attention to a massive problem - the fact that the world doesn't understand the gospel message, and this is because most Christians don't understand it either - in fact, they misunderstand it.

    Today we look at the three angels' messages, which is justification by faith - the everlasting gospel, and check our understanding of what exactly this message is all about - and how it can truly put an end to poverty once and for all.

    For further study - 

    "Understanding the 1888 Message: Rejected Then, Accept It Now" by Analiza Guzman:
    http://www.bdsda.com/understanding-the-1888-message-rejected-then-accept-it-now/


    "Forsaking Possessions: Jesus' Teaching Explained:" https://youtu.be/2TLl0AiFtME

    "The Second Tithe and the Worthy Poor:" https://youtu.be/g7bhHd80FWs

    "The Storehouse and the Messenger of the Covenant:" https://youtu.be/FhCEsV0-pSI

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 7, "Unto the Least of These"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

     www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Forsaking Possessions: Jesus' Teaching Explained

    Forsaking Possessions: Jesus' Teaching Explained

    This week, we talk about the idea of giving up everything, specifically as it relates to the Sabbath School's theme this quarter - financial stewardship. In the past few lessons, we've talked about God's requirements in returning to him a tithe (that is a tenth) of our income along with offerings, and we also covered the much neglected second tithe.

    We might think that once we have given God our tithes and offerings, we've done our financial duty to God and the rest of our money is ours to do with what we will. But is this really the case?

    Jesus had instructed those who would be his disciples to recognize all their possessions as not really being their own, but as belonging to God. And He knew that they would be tempted to worry that following these instructions would leave them without food and drink. But Jesus' promise is that if seek the kingdom, God will ensure that we have everything we need. 

    We look at Jesus' teachings on the principles of the Kingdom to learn the object of forsaking all, its incredible viability, and the security it provides. 

    For further study:

    "The Second Tithe and the Worthy Poor," https://youtu.be/g7bhHd80FWs

    "The Final Elijah, The Judgment of the Living, and Tithes and Offerings," https://youtu.be/VD_zSVhiFPg

    "The Storehouse and the Messenger of the Covenant," https://youtu.be/FhCEsV0-pSI

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 6, "Laying Up Treasure in Heaven"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

    The Second Tithe and the Worthy Poor

    The Second Tithe and the Worthy Poor

    Sunday's lesson discusses three reasons people get into financial difficulty. First is ignorance in regard to good financial principles, second is greed or selfishness, and the third listed in the lesson is personal misfortune. In this lesson, we address the third reason people get into finacial difficulty...personal misfortune. Does the church church organization have any responsibility in these cases, assuming the person who has fallen on hard times because of no fault of their own is a faithful member of the church, has honestly endeavored to walk in all the light that has been given to them, and is a faithful tither? Or should their hope rest only in "the support of Christian friends, the counsel and/or assistance of godly counselors, hard work coupled with a good education, and the blessing and providence of God" as written as the options for hope in the lesson?

    To answer this, we look at scripture and the writings of Ellen White to see what God's system requires of the church organization in these cases.

    For deeper study, see:

    "King of Crises in the Seventh-day Adventist Church," by Trent Wilde:

    https://www.bdsda.com/the-king-of-crises-in-the-seventh-day-adventist-church-2/?highlight=king%20of%20crises

    "The Storehouse and the Messenger of the Covenant:"

    https://youtu.be/FhCEsV0-pSI

     

    "The Final Elijah, The Judgment of the Living, and Tithes and Offerings:"

    https://youtu.be/VD_zSVhiFPg

     

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 5, "Dealing with Debt"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

    The Final Elijah, The Judgment of the Living, and Tithes and Offerings

    The Final Elijah, The Judgment of the Living, and Tithes and Offerings

    This week, we learn more about the perfect fulfillment of Malachi chapter 3's prophecy relating to tithes and offerings and see that the message that the final antitypical Elijah brings during the judgment of the living (the judgment or cleansing that comes after the period of the judgment of the dead - see Ellen White, The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 4, p. 314.3), will purify those who heed it before the church is purified from sinners. We will also show how God's reproof regarding robbing Him of tithes and offerings in Malachi 3 is particularly relevant to the SDA church today.

    For deeper study, see:

    The Storehouse and the Messenger of the Covenant - https://youtu.be/FhCEsV0-pSI

    "The Revival and Reformation Crowned with the Purification", by Victor Houteff -  http://www.bdsda.com/.../timely-greetings-vol-2-nos.../...

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 4, "Offerings for Jesus"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

    The Storehouse and the Messenger of the Covenant

    The Storehouse and the Messenger of the Covenant

    Malachi 3 tells us that tithes are to be given to support God's house. And the Sabbath School  lesson this week rightly points out that God's dwelling, and thus the storehouse for tithes, has transferred from place to place over time. This means that we can't simply assume that where God's storehouse was in the past must be where it is today. To be sure we're tithing to the right place, we need to keep pace with God's movements instead of mistakenly thinking He is where he only used to be. Scripture contains illuminating testimony on this point. We look at testimony from Jeremiah 7 and Malachi 3 to see that  we shouldn't assume that a certain place is God's dwelling if the voice of God is not heard or answered there.

    For deeper study, please see:

    "The Revival and Reformation Crowned with the Purification", by Victor Houteff -  http://www.bdsda.com/.../timely-greetings-vol-2-nos.../...

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 3, "The Tithing Contract"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

     

     

    Is That a Salvation Issue?

    Is That a Salvation Issue?

    People sometimes equate "legalism" with the belief that we earn salvation by works. In reality, while these are both pitfalls, they aren't the same pitfall. To understand what legalism is and how you might be falling into it without even realizing it, we recommend another study of ours called "Legalism: Treating the Law as Policy Rather Than Principle," linked below. But in this study, we'll be talking about recognizing the importance and even necessity of good works without falling into the trap of believing we earn salvation by works.

    People often ask, "Is that a salvation issue?" in regard to various "good works." The premise here is that if being saved is a free gift, then good works are not required, and are not "salvation issues." In other words, whether you do it or not doesn't impact whether or not you are saved.

    But there are problems with this way of talking about works and salvation.

    As we've discussed in past studies, like, "Are Good Works Required at All?" linked below, the bible uses the word "saved" to mean delivered or rescued from something – and what that something is depends on the context it is used in. So when we see the word "saved" or "salvation," we need to ask, saved from what?

    For deeper study, see our studies:

    Legalism: Treating the Law as Policy Rather Than Principle, https://youtu.be/Vuwh2BEmqME

    Are Good Works Required At All? https://youtu.be/hIcZleuSrAE

    If Lucifer Fell In Paradise, Could We? https://youtu.be/ZlL_TJGcbr8

    The Lost Gospel of Christ http://www.bdsda.com/home-3/the-lost-gospel-of-christ/

    Sabbath School Q1 2023: Managing for the Master - Week 2, "God's Covenant With Us"

    A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

    www.bdsda.com

    Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.