If you’ve thought much about judgment, you may have the topic wrapped in confusion, anxiety, and fear. This is how I’ve felt for many years about judgment. I was a youngster that went to the Judgment House at the local Baptist Church on Halloween instead of the haunted house. Me and my preteen friends would walk through the church, scene after scene playing before us: car accident, funeral, even hell where we’d see Satan excitedly discussing the new soul he’d soon have. It was scary. Then we’d reach Heaven and learn there was hope after all—but it was a hope born of fear. For many Christians, the concept of judgment is cloaked in fear and uncertainty. Will I be good enough? Will my sins be exposed? But Scripture offers a better story: one of assurance, not anxiety. Judgment isn’t about God looking for reasons to condemn believers. It’s about confirming their faith and vindicating the character of God before the watching universe. For the saints, eternity doesn’t begin after death or after the second coming. It begins the moment we place our trust in Christ. The Adventist View of Judgment: Investigative, Not Condemning Seventh-day Adventists believe in a pre-Advent judgment, often called the “investigative judgment.” This cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary is a heavenly work of judgment—not for God to find out who is saved (He already knows) but to demonstrate the justice and mercy of God in dealing with sin. The judgment reveals who has accepted Christ’s righteousness and chosen to follow Him. For those who believe in Jesus, this is not a fearful review—it is a divine vindication. The Believer’s Position in Judgment: No Condemnation Should Adventists look toward judgment without fear because we have this special information? Should we be more fearful because we know how serious God is about judgment? Scripture says something different. Those who have accepted Christ stand in a place of assurance. “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24, NLT). “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NLT). “Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14, NLT). So, maybe, for the saints, judgment isn’t about condemnation, but confirming this reality to the universe: we are alive in Christ right now. Clearing the Good Name of God Judgment is not only about the saved—it is about clearing God’s name. In Heaven and on Earth, Satan challenged God’s justice, but the judgment shows God is both just and merciful. Believers are judged not on their own merit, but on their acceptance of Christ’s righteousness. The judgment is God’s way of saying: Look what My grace has done. For a believer, eternal life doesn’t start when you die. It begins the moment you believe. Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47, NLT). “We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives” (Philippians 3:20, NLT). As believers, we live with confidence today because our future is already secure. Our names are written in the Book of Life, not because of perfection but because of faith. Living in the Light of Judgment As Adventists, saints, and believers, we don’t live to earn salvation—we live to reflect it. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our daily life. When you know eternity has already begun, you live with freedom. Not freedom to sin, but freedom from fear, and not freedom to coast, but freedom to grow. A Judgment That Brings Peace For the believer, the investigative judgment is not a courtroom horror but a heavenly celebration. It affirms the reality of salvation and the power of grace. It displays God’s fairness before angels and humans alike. For the saint, it means this: you can live with peace today because your eternity is already in motion. Eternity begins now. Live like it.

Sabbath School Lesson for May 17-23, 2025 Introduction of Lesson 8, “In the Psalms: Part 1” Memory Text: “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1 NKJV God’s character will be imprinted on our minds, or written on our foreheads, as John described it in Revelation 14:1. We will be forever grateful for the Lamb who makes us worthy to stand with Him on His holy Mount. The range of human experiences and emotions, found in the book of Psalms, can be useful for God’s people. These beloved songs and poems are especially helpful for those in the last days of earth’s history, when similar challenging situations threaten to overcome us. Still struggling with the enormous weight of our sins and the need of the Savior’s blood to cover them, we are drawn to the eloquent, emotional words of David and others in this powerful collection of Psalms in the Old Testament. The detailed, prophetic words of John in the book of Revelation come alive when we read them next to these moving Psalms of praise and worship. We have been given the same assignment as David’s people. We are to be a beacon of light and hope to a dying world. The nations need to hear our cries of warning, as we call people to worship and obey our Creator God. Sunday: Our High Priest–sanctuary imagery found in Revelation Monday: On Mount Zion–with the Lamb of God Tuesday: Law in Our Hearts–His character in our minds Wednesday: Psalm 5–the redeemed and the wicked contrasted Thursday: Teach Transgressors Your Way–preaching the everlasting gospel Sunday: Our High Priest It’s fairly obvious that Christ, who laid down His life for us, would be represented as the High Priest who offered up sacrifices for God’s people in the tabernacle and later, the temple. The book of Psalms gives us glimpses into the hearts of the ordinary people who came to worship there. Knowing about the sanctuary services in the Old Testament helps us grasp the full significance of what we see in John’s visions in Revelation. Chapter four, for instance, is full of sanctuary imagery. God’s throne room has very similar furnishings as those found in the temple in old Jerusalem. Psalm 122 expresses the joy of being in God’s presence back then–the same joy as that of the redeemed at the end of earth’s history. Other stories of people in the Bible shed some light on their worship experiences, but the emotion-packed praises and laments found in Psalms, as people expressed what brought them to God’s house and what kept them going there, are extremely helpful as we read the prophetic words in Revelation about another time when we will be praising God in His heavenly sanctuary. Verses and questions: Hebrews 9:11-14 Why is it helpful to know what Christ is doing for us in the heavenly sanctuary? Why are the sacrifices there better than the animal sacrifices required for the earthly sanctuary? Psalm 122:1-9 What kind of feelings did the worshipers in the temple have about being there, and why? Monday: On Mount Zion Revelation 14 begins with a scene depicting the Lamb of God standing on Mount Zion, a place known to be God’s dwelling place. A group of 144,000 worshipers join Him there, singing the joyful songs of those who have been redeemed. They have God’s name on their foreheads. In other words, they have developed a character like God’s. When we read about the worshipers in Psalms 15 and 24, we understand more about the life and character of those 144,000. We are told that the redeemed walk uprightly (Psalm 15:2) and have clean hands and pure hearts (Psalm 24:4). Their thoughts and actions are in accordance with God’s will. They have been covered with the blood of the Lamb, and it shows in their godly deeds and demeanor. No one is there because of their own righteousness. We have all sinned, and most of us continue struggling with negative behaviors and thoughts. But the Lamb of God is always there to cover our “filthy rags” with His robe of righteousness (Isaiah 64:6 and 61:10). There is reason to be joyful and thankful when we stand on God’s holy Mount Zion. Verses and questions: Revelation 14:1-5 Who are the 144,000 and why is the number likely to be symbolic? (keep in mind that 12 x 12 x 1,000 = 144,000) Why is the song of the redeemed a “new” song? What makes it so special? Tuesday: Law in Our Hearts Having the Father’s name written on our foreheads indicates that we belong to Him (Revelation 14:1). It shows that He is willing to share His character and reputation with us. We should want to know as much about His character as possible, so we can live up to God’s name. After all, the third commandment says we should not take the Lord’s name in vain. The ten commandments, being the essence of His character, show us those behaviors the Lord expects of His children. Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, mentions the words “commandments” and “law” 45 times. This psalm reveals how we are to relate to His law. The law should bring joy and comfort to our hearts, as it did for the anonymous author of Psalm 119. “Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!”, he tells us in verse 10. There are two main reasons why we love God and keep His commandments. First of all, for who He is–a powerful, loving Father, “merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). And the second reason should be for what He has done for us, both individually and corporately. Verses and questions: Exodus 33:18-23, 34:1-7 How did God show Himself to Moses and why was He so careful in the way He did it? How would you sum up God’s The Teacher’s Notes–In the Psalms: Part 1, Lesson 8 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2025 2Q, “Allusions Images and Symbols”“>Read more…

There is something about ancient literature that most of us seldom think about. The Bible often uses the middle section of a verse, chapter, or passage to express its main idea or theme—quite the opposite of our writing style now, where the main thought is found in the opening and closing sentences. To understand why this different style of writing was used by the Hebrews, try to imagine how they opened a scroll. The first thing you would see would be the main theme in the middle section. As you unrolled it from side to side, you’d find ideas supporting that central thought. After discovering this, I wondered what might be the central theme of the ten commandments found in Exodus. Knowing that Jesus often expressed the commandments in terms of loving God and loving our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), I wondered if the word “love” was anywhere in the ten commandments. How amazing to find the word “love” right in the center of our duties to God in the first four commandments. Exodus 20:6 says, “showing mercy to thousands, to those who LOVE Me and keep My commandments.” There it was: the word “love”. God could have easily skipped the love part and just said “to those who keep My commandments”, but our obedience has to go beyond that. God is full of love and mercy to us, and when we love Him in return, it’s easier to be merciful and loving to others. So, God only needed to include the word “love” once in the Law–in the middle, the heart, of the commandments to love Him. Revelation also talks about keeping the commandments. Revelation 14:12 identifies saints as those “who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” We may wonder if the faith of Jesus is related to His love. Married couples who have experienced unfaithfulness in their relationship would verify that love and faith are closely linked. That’s why Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please Him”. Our faithfulness to God is certainly one of the most visible indicators of our love for Him. As Seventh-day Adventists we tend to put a lot of emphasis on keeping the Sabbath commandment. But I hope pondering these things about love expands our thoughts about what it means to keep any of the commandments, including the fourth one. It isn’t that difficult when we remember the “love” part. It says in 1 John 5:3 that “His commandments are not burdensome.” When we love God, keeping them is actually much easier than we thought. For a fresh look at other core beliefs that you might want to share with others, see these: Who Am I in the Holy Place of God’s Sanctuary? Who Is the King of kings and Lord of lords? The Mark of the Beast The Time of Trouble The Judgment of God Made Easy Satan’s First Lie The Three Angels’ Messages  

A Day Of Mixed Emotions This weekend mothers, rightfully so, are being splurged upon, celebrated for their birthing of children and giving life to the legacy of their and the children’s father’s lineage. The same for spiritual, surrogate, and bonus moms who hold an equally sacred and lifesaving space in the lives of their ‘children.’ Mothers and children are also feeling the pangs of the mixture of grief and joy from missing their absentee moms whose presence has gone because of physical or relational death. The mixed bag of emotions felt on this day yearly is palatable but I am encouraged because over the years I have seen a vulnerability, compassion, empathy and affordability of shared spaces for all of the experiences and emotions of the impact of mothers. The apostle Paul speaks in plain and permissive language encouraging us to share dual spaces with each other as Christ has modeled for us. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 (NIV).  Many attributes of motherhood can be celebrated and quite frankly one day cannot suffice the all encompassing role of a mother. Her job is literally the manifesting of every single profession known to man (doctor, advocate, homemaker, guide, teacher, counsellor, home cafeteria director, manager, negotiator, cleaning guru and the list is unceasing and when you think you have figured out all of the roles of a mother, another batch unfolds. As older children we can attest to that because as we grow and evolve, so does the role of our parents and the longer the children and parent lives the higher the evolutions and discovery that just when you don’t think you need your mother again, life teaches you that that need will never end. In my mid stage of life, I don’t think I can say that there is nothing I don’t need from my mother because at the very least, I need her prayers, calls, laughter, comfort, correction, and spiritual fortitude now more than ever, and I know that if physically I am unable to care for myself, she would be the first one to use the strength that she has to care for me. She is the glue which makes sure that life doesn’t shred me away…she is the heart, mind, compassion and strength of the Mother in God who is our first mother and whose mothering ways flow in the DNA and veins of all categories of mothers who impact the lives of their children (biological, adopted, spiritual and creatively).  God Has Appointed A Mother’s Work Author Ellen White in her book Adventist Home: Section 10—Mother—Queen of the Household, Chapter 38—Mother’s Position and Responsibilities, gives some additional insight into the Divine and consequential job description of a mother in the lives of her children. God Has Appointed Her Work—Would that every mother could realize how great are her duties and her responsibilities and how great will be the reward of faithfulness. The mother who cheerfully takes up the duties lying directly in her path will feel that life is to her precious, because God has given her a work to perform. In this work she need not necessarily dwarf her mind nor allow her intellect to become enfeebled.  The mother’s work is given her of God, to bring up her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The love and fear of God should ever be kept before their tender minds. When corrected, they should be taught to feel that they are admonished of God, that He is displeased with deception, untruthfulness, and wrongdoing. Thus the minds of little ones may be so connected with God that all they do and say will be in reference to His glory; and in after years they will not be like the reed in the wind, continually wavering between inclination and duty.  To lead them to Jesus is not all that is required…. These children are to be educated and trained to become disciples of Christ, “that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.” This work of molding, refining, and polishing is the mother’s. The character of the child is to be developed. The mother must engrave upon the tablet of the heart lessons as enduring as eternity; and she will surely meet the displeasure of the Lord if she neglects this sacred work or allows anything to interfere with it…. The Christian mother has her God-appointed work, which she will not neglect if she is closely connected with God and imbued with His Spirit. Born of the Spirit – God our Mother Not as widely discussed but it is good to revisit our origins from Eliom: Creator God and the relationship within the Godhead for our creation and spiritual rebirthing. One of the roles in the partnership of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit’s power from God the Father to bring to life (breathe life into) what God the Son created (both physically and spiritually.  Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”  Psalm 104:29-30: “You hide your face; they perish. You take away their breath; they die and return to dust. You send your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” John 3:5-8:  “5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[ gives birth to spirit…”   Luke 1:35: 35: “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Ezekiel 37:5: “This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make “Strong Waters” – The Mothers Who Hold Our World Together! A Mother’s Day Ode to God and All Life-Givers.“>Read more…