Sabbath School Lesson for May 27-June 2, 2023 Overview of Lesson 10, Satan’s Final Deceptions Memory Text: ” ‘Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth.’ ” John 17:17 NKJV Topics studied this week include: Sunday: The Way That Seems Right in a Man’s Eyes–Even the faithful are in danger of being deceived. Monday: The Old Lie of Immortality–Belief in the immortality of the soul leads to spiritualism, with Satan’s demons disguising themselves as those who have died. Tuesday: Babylon–the Center of Sun Worship–Instead of worshiping the Creator of the sun, Satan has people worshiping on the day pagans worshiped the sun. Wednesday: A Call to Faithfulness–God’s word, not human opinion or tradition, should be our guide. Thursday: Grace for Obedience–We must forsake our self-centered, human attempts at obedience and live by faith in God’s grace. The “wine of Babylon” contains many deadly, false doctrines that only lead to destruction. The three angels’ messages are designed to protect us from these deceptive teachings. It is the perfect antidote to keep us safe from the wiles of the devil that so easily entrap us, especially in these last days. Satan’s first deception to mankind came to Eve in the Garden of Eden. She was told that her disobedience to God would not lead to her death, as God had warned them. Today, Satan has most of the world deceived about what happens to us after death. Instead of “resting” from our labors, “sleeping in Jesus”, as God describes death, many in the world, even Christians, believe that our souls go on living after death and go straight to our eternal destiny. Satan’s second powerful deception involves worship. He has been successful in getting most of the world to worship on a different day than God prescribed in His word. Sunday worship has surely drawn us away from our Creator in many subtle, and not so subtle, ways. Sunday: The Way That Seems Right in a Man’s Eyes Perhaps the most chilling warning Jesus has given believers in the last days are the words, ” ‘For false christs and false prophets will rise up and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.’ ” (Mark 13:22) Even some of God’s most faithful followers may be found among those who are deceived at the very end.  None of us alone are a match for Satan’s power to deceive. “That serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan,” who was himself cast out of heaven, will achieve a worldwide following on planet Earth (Revelation 12:9) before God is forced to end Satan’s reign and set up His own Kingdom of righteousness and peace. Proverbs 14:12 alerts us to the possibility that “there is a way that seems right to a man,” but it is in reality a way to death. Only by immersing ourselves in God’s holy Word, surrendering ourselves to Jesus, and allowing His Spirit to guide us will we be safe from Satan’s power to deceive. Bible Verses: Mark 13:22 and Matthew 24:31 Who are “the elect”? Revelation 12:9 and 20:3 How does this verse confirm who Satan is and what he is trying to do here on earth? Will he be successful in his efforts to hijack our planet? Proverbs 14:12 and John 17:17 How do we guard ourselves and follow the path that leads to life? Monday: The Old Lie of Immortality One of the things we don’t want to hear from a doctor is that we have a terminal illness or disease. We long to hear what the treatment plan might be, and find immense relief in hearing that we will not surely die, at least not from that disease. Knowing mankind as he does, it’s no wonder that Satan’s most successful lie has been that disobedient humanity will not die. He has convinced, even most Christians, that our soul, or spirit, will go right on living, either in heaven or in hell, immediately upon death. The fact that God calls death a sleep, a rest from our labors (Revelation 14:13), indicates that our mortal bodies do indeed die and remain in the grave. But, we will be resurrected together with all the righteous at the last trump when Jesus comes (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17), and all the unrighteous when fire from heaven will come down and destroy them (Revelation 20:9). Satan’s most successful lie about life after death has led to spiritualism, a widely-held belief that dead spirits come back and visit us here on earth. This lie of the immortality of the soul  will certainly increase Satan’s ability to perform signs and wonders in the final days of earth’s history. Demons, disguised as our loved ones, will attempt to draw us away from the truths in the Bible, and thus away from God. Bible Verses: Revelation 16:13, 14, 18:2, 23 How do these verses help us understand how spiritualism will be rampant in the last days? What do we see today in the entertainment world and at funerals that shows us how prevalent is the belief of the immortality of the soul? Job 19:25-27 and John 5:29, 11:24 What does Jesus and the Bible teach us about when we are resurrected? Tuesday: Babylon–The Center of Sun Worship Being the largest planet in the sky, the one that their crops of food depended on for growth, it’s no wonder that the sun became an object of worship for much of the pagan world. We see evidence of this in the histories of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Ezekiel, the prophet who lived during the time of Daniel, tried to discourage the Israelites from sun worship. It was often a problem for God’s people (Ezekiel 8:16). The Roman emperor Constantine was an avid worshiper of the sun, but was converted to Christianity. In order for his new religion to appeal to other sun worshipers in his territories, he decreed in 321 A.D. that the day to worship would be on Sunday, the day of the sun. With this The Teacher’s Notes–Satan’s Final Deceptions, Lesson 10 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2023 2Q, “Three Cosmic Messages”“>Read more…

Sabbath School Lesson for May 2o-26, 2023 Overview for Lesson 9, A City Called Confusion Memory Text: ” ‘These make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.’ ” Revelation 17:14 NKJV Topics studied this week include: Sunday: Two Contrasting Systems–Who are the two women in Revelation 12 and 17? Monday: The Wine of the Wrath–What does it mean to drink of the “wine of Babylon”? Tuesday: Mystery, Babylon the Great–Why is Babylon used to represent false religious systems? Wednesday: A Call to Commitment–In what way was Babylon a combination of church and state? Thursday: Babylon, the Center of Idolatry–When and why were images introduced into the Christian church, and why are they harmful? We now take up the study of the second angel’s message in Revelation 14. The cry now is “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Revelation 14:8). To properly understand this urgent appeal, we must look before and after chapter 14 to identify who or what Babylon is. In chapter 12,  a pure woman, symbolizing the bride of Christ, is described as being clothed with the sun. In contrast, we find in chapter 17, a harlot dressed in purple and scarlet, which represents spiritual apostasy. They correspond with the holy city of God, Jerusalem, as opposed to the pagan city of Babylon, a place where idolatrous behavior  and spiritual confusion was the norm. Sunday: Two Contrasting Systems In Revelation 12:17 and 17:14 we find a spiritual war going on. Some power seems to fighting the Lamb, or Christ, but it also seeks to overcome the woman, or the church (Ephesians 5:23). These two opposing forces, good and evil, are as different as night and day. And yet, many seem to be deceived and don’t fully know whose side they are on. This confusion has been carefully strategized by Satan, who is an expert at blending truth with error, making it difficult to determine what is truth. Although the ancient city of Babylon has long ago been destroyed, its pagan religious practices have become a symbol of false worship in the world. The woman in Revelation 17:1-6, dressed in purple and scarlet and riding on a scarlet beast, is called a harlot, because she has left her true Lover, Jesus Christ, and committed “fornication”, symbolic of the false doctrines and practices she promotes. Bible Verses: Revelation 14:8 and 17:1, 2, 15 What elements do these verses share? What do waters mean and how does this reveal the worldwide following the harlot has? Monday: The Wine of the Wrath The pure juice of the grape, the wine that is symbolic of the blood of Christ, represents the truth of God’s word. But the “wine of the wrath of her fornication” is another kind of wine that has become tainted with sin. His word is mixed with false, human teachings by another woman, or church, that is described as a harlot. This harlot has been unfaithful to God and His word. Revelation 17:2 says that kings and inhabitants of the earth are made drunk with this tainted wine. This confusing, false religious system, called  Babylon, not only has worldwide influence, but has infiltrated government agencies (“the kings of the earth”) to enforce its unholy gospel. Instead of looking to Jesus, the true Head of the church, this fallen church looks to the state for support and enforcement of its decrees. The second angel’s message which warns us against Babylon is explained further in Revelation 18:4, which says, “Come out of her, my people.” This implies that God’s people are or had been associated with Babylon, and are called to leave it. Chapter 18 gives a full picture of who Babylon is and what its fall means. The Holy Roman Empire, which ruled much of Europe during the Middle Ages, easily fits the description of this false church called Babylon. But caution of coming under its influence grows even greater as we near the end of earth’s history. Another power emerges then, which creates an image to the beast, also calling on the state to unite with the church and enforce its worship. See Revelation 13. Bible Verses: Revelation 17:4, 5 How would you describe the character of the scarlet woman? Revelation 17:6 How does this verse support the Holy Roman Empire becoming Babylon? Who were the martyrs at that time? Tuesday: Mystery, Babylon the Great To uncover the mystery of how Babylon became so powerful, we must go back to the original site for the ancient city, the tower of Babel. Genesis 11 tells the story of how their pride got the better of them after the flood, and in order to “make a name” for themselves, and supposedly save themselves in the event of another flood (which God had promised would never happen, by the way), they went about building an enormously high tower. This led to a state of confusion, with their languages mysteriously becoming all mixed up. Without adequate communication going on, the building of the tower had to stop. Spiritual Babylon, talked about in Revelation, therefore represents a religion based on human pride, leading to human ideas, beliefs, and traditions, rather than the word of God. As the name Babel and Babylon imply, this false religious system leads to confusion on a massive scale. Instead of relying on the simple word of God, on Christ, the Head of the church, they rely on the traditions and false practices of the church. Satan must certainly be pleased that his deceptive devices have infiltrated God’s church so totally and easily, and people are left confused over what to believe. Bible Verses: Genesis 11:1-4, 9 Why do you think God allowed their languages to be confused, and why would He want them to scatter over the face of the earth? The Teacher’s Notes–A City Called Confusion, Lesson 9 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2023 2Q, “Three Cosmic Messages”“>Read more…

Be prepared, but not scared. God is still in control. Nothing the devil tries to do gets done without God’s permission. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isa. 54:17). This tells us it may form—the weapon will be formed—but it will not prosper! It’s a scary, angry world. Remain peaceful and filled with patience and hope. Calm down, world. Anger creates an atmosphere where righteousness can’t flourish. God wants to produce a righteous life in us, but we gotta’ stay calm.  How do we stay calm in such a crazy, insane, frustrating, scary world, we might ask? We MUST remember this earth is not our home forever. Jesus has a purpose for our lives, like He did for Paul in the Bible. He was bitten by a poisonous snake, after surviving a wrecked ship in a storm. It bit him, but the poison didn’t prosper because God had a plan for him to go to Rome and preach. He couldn’t die there. God had more for him to do. So it is with us. If God has more for us to do, you’ve got a prayer. It’s going to be alright. I know this because God told me how the story ends. God wins. The wicked do seem to take over and will eventually try to take over the New Jerusalem city and will seek to kill all God’s followers in it, but just before they get a chance to attack, God will send fire down from heaven and the wicked will be no more. That’s a good thing, by the way. Revelation starts out scary-sounding, but it ends on a good note for God’s people. It isn’t scary or discouraging to look at the world news when we remember that God is using the trouble and is still on our side for life. It ends well. Hang in there! GOD IS WITH US. Allissa Morrison is a former student of College View Academy, a member of the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church. She grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and enjoys working in fast food.

Recovery is possible, but it will be gradual improvement over 1-2 years for full recovery.  If the job you have is the cause of the burnout, sometimes finding a new job can help.  Yet this is not always necessary for recovery and also will not make recovery instantaneous.  Recovery will still take time with a new job or not. Uncontrolled Stress Causes Burnout Since lack of control is a key factor causing burnout, finding areas of life one can control is a key factor in recovery.  Discover and enforce your boundaries.  Being able to have clear lines between work and home is important.  Taking a break at work, yes even if you work in healthcare, has been proven to give people more energy to do their work after the break and improve and prevent burnout.  If at all possible the break is even more beneficial if taken outdoors.  Eat lunch, ideally a healthy lunch. Healthy Steps to Take Prioritizing sleep is one of the most important actions you can take.  Adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.  Since stress can interfere with sleep, this may temporarily need more intervention than simply allowing enough time for sleep.  The only time our brains can “take out the trash” is when we are deeply asleep.  Shorting ourselves on sleep impedes our ability to remember things, and does some amount of damage to the brain over the long term.  Thus sleep is critical to recovery. Light exercise such as cardio, strength training, and stretching can bring renewal.  Intense exercises such as boot camps cause stress to the body, increasing cortisol levels.  These are already higher for those under excessive stress and experiencing burnout, therefore are best to avoid during recovery. Deep abdominal breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing as slow as 6 times per minute actually can increase oxygen levels in the blood and helps tell your brain to relax.  Coupling this with slower relaxing music can make it even more beneficial.  (for a video explaining this breathing, click here)  Ellen White also recommends deep breathing:  “In order to have good blood, we must breathe well. Full, deep inspirations of pure air, which fill the lungs with oxygen, purify the blood. They impart to it a bright color and send it, a life-giving current, to every part of the body. A good respiration soothes the nerves; it stimulates the appetite and renders digestion more perfect; and it induces sound, refreshing sleep.” Ministry of Healing p. 272 Time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine is healing and increases immunity which is decreased with stress.  The benefits of sunshine and fresh air are being shown more and more in research.  There is far more benefit than I can possibly explain in this format, so I suggest watching these videos by a doctor from Loma Linda.  Shorter one; longer one but worth it!  The outdoors (even looking at pictures) has been shown to decrease stress. New Skills Interestingly mastery of a new skill has been shown to help with burnout. This could be picking up a new hobby or renewing an old one.  This may be in part due to having control.  It also is stimulating to the brain and gives it exercise. Because burnout is a problem manifested mostly in the brain, there are steps to improve mental health that are crucial to recovery and prevention.  We will look at those in the next post. Previous posts in this series:  What is Burnout?,  Burnout in the Brain If you are feeling suicidal, please call 988 for support, go to your hospital’s emergency department, or call 911.  God is not done with you yet.