Sabbath School Today, Volume 9 - Paul E. Penno

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Chapter 9 Offering of Gratitude From time to time, Jesus warmly commended the faith of various individuals whom He healed. But His commendation of Mary sets the crowning seal of perfection to His growing definition of faith. He had said to the cold-hearted Simon, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much" (Luke 7:47). Clearly, Mary loved much because she knew she had been forgiven much. She probably felt, however, as many since have felt, that she yet wanted faith. This simple, contrite love she knew--what good would it be if she knew not that greater virtue of faith which alone could get something done, like moving mountains? Imagine her surprise to hear Jesus assign His own definition to her experience of contrite love, as He told her, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (vs. 50). She had a precious possession: genuine "faith." But what is it? A picture is worth a thousand words. Faith is the essence of true Christian experience. Righteousness is only by faith, "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9). But we must distinguish genuine faith from its counterfeit if we are ever to know peace of heart. Jesus lifts up Mary's heart-response to His delivering her from her "seven devils" as being what the Christian wants: the "picture" of faith. Mary's story makes it easy for us to understand. The picture is worth more than many thousands of words. Faith is simply a heart-appreciation of the agape love that led the Son of 35
God to die for us on His cross. That faith is what Mary had. From her first contact with the Savior, she had begun opening her heart for the Holy Spirit to "pour" in that agape. She couldn't receive much at first, but day by day her capacity began to grow. In His first contact with her in Magdala, Jesus gave expression to that agape, perhaps not in words, but in look, in touch, in spirit, in the fervency of His prayer for her deliverance. She was almost totally gone, but a tiny remnant of soul was still within her that responded with that tiny spark of appreciation. Thereafter, with each succeeding prayer during the following six sessions, her appreciation of His agape grew. What motivated her thereafter was not fear of hell, not hope of reward, not love of heaven, not desire for praise from others, but a totally nonegocentric appreciation for "the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love [agape] of Christ which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:18,19). She experienced the reality of the delightful process stated in Romans 5:5: "Hope does not disappoint, because the love [agape] of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (New American Standard Bible). Starting with an empty heart, the agape fills it like you fill a wine jug! And once the heart is filled, it all flows to others as easily and naturally as it flowed in from the heart of Jesus. It's not that you try and try to behave like Jesus; "behold," see, comprehend the reality that was in His heart; sense what it cost Him to save you; then the same behavior flows out from your own heart. Like watching a game at the arena, we behold this drama unfold unconsciously in Mary. She is a demonstration of how a sinner is saved. 36
Page 1 and 2: SABBATH SCHOOL TODAY VOLUME 9 Paul
Page 3 and 4: did you make? Christ reverses our m
Page 5 and 6: Peter's thing when he denied Christ
Page 7 and 8: Chapter 2 I See, I Want, I Take The
Page 9 and 10: the faith of Jesus; therefore it is
Page 11 and 12: Chapter 3 God or Mammon A fundament
Page 13 and 14: preamble, when we appreciate what t
Page 15 and 16: elieve in the power of God to deliv
Page 17 and 18: ighteousness. Only when we allow ou
Page 19 and 20: 92. 6. A. T. Jones, "The Third Ange
Page 21 and 22: Jeremiah (31:22); and what He wants
Page 23 and 24: Second, to consider Christ continua
Page 25 and 26: Chapter 6 The Marks of a Steward Th
Page 27 and 28: not the source your pleasures that
Page 29 and 30: Chapter 7 Honesty With God Is there
Page 31 and 32: nothing like it presented publicly
Page 33 and 34: and the same. ... God's covenants w
Page 35: olster our sagging self-esteem. In
Page 39 and 40: which worketh by love" (Gal. 5:6; I
Page 41 and 42: through us. We plead on Christ's be
Page 43 and 44: His righteousness. It is a message
Page 45 and 46: ealized that, he took a deep breath
Page 47 and 48: When the Father gave His Son, Chris
Page 49 and 50: His Father wakened Him morning by m
Page 51 and 52: Chapter 13 The Result of Stewardshi
Page 53 and 54: LORD which exercise lovingkindness,
Page 55 and 56: nature, "sin shall not have dominio
Page 57 and 58: Chapter 15 Daniel and the End Time
Page 59 and 60: ody have a corporate concern. If "o
Page 61 and 62: denominational repentance, followed
Page 63 and 64: Commandments through the power of J
Page 65 and 66: cleanse, to purify, to sanctify, to
Page 67 and 68: evealing to us His work as our high
Page 69 and 70: counsel of His will' (Eph. 1:11)."
Page 71 and 72: must occur to the Holy Spirit's wor
Page 73 and 74: with God than has ever in the past
Page 75 and 76: --Paul E. Penno Endnote: [1] Ellen
Page 77 and 78: the Lord, I do not change" (Mal. 3:
Page 79 and 80: doctrines," for she said it was "fr
Page 81 and 82: Chapter 20 Matthew 24 and 25 The sp
Page 83 and 84: Recognizing and joyfully accepting
Page 85 and 86: meaning to "old" light. The message
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call to come out of it. Righteousne
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Did this take place when Christ pai
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Chapter 23 America and Babylon Befo
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In an effort to reassert herself as
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dragon," and then the "image of the
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Chapter 24 Gods Seal or the Beasts
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Heaven is powerless to prevent it.
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Chapter 25 Babylon and Armageddon T
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his advantage. This is the conditio
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... This experience awaits the remn
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15), so that this truth can "lighte
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and abase the exalted. ... It shall
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truth to the world as the apostles
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separation from sin, a deliverance
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Chapter 28 Pentecost "Pentecost" is
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come, like a lost vein of gold in t
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"scripture" in John 7:37, 38 (SS 4:
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The early believers had achieved a
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children of Abraham." [2] God expla
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Chapter 30 The First Church Leaders
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Holy Spirit manifest full and compl
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Chapter 31 The Conversion of Paul A
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oken and contrite heart. "Lord, exp
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land, there is needed confession, r
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Chapter 32 The Ministry of Peter Fr
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and rejected what Christ has alread
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Endnote: [1] Ellen G. White, Select
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verse 46 Paul addressed the Jews wh
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advance. --Paul E. Penno Endnote: [
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who persecuted Paul and Barnabas."
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Conference. This was wise advice, b
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Chapter 35 The Second Missionary Jo
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y letting Him do His blessed will i
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Chapter 36 The Third Missionary Jou
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On the north side of the city stood
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Chapter 37 Arrest in Jerusalem One
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produce the promised child without
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take the righteousness of Christ as
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impossible. What we need to do is g
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a man, to use a common expression,
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international strife. Two world war
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you just couldn't sit still. The to
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Chapter 40 Creation and Fall Not a
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Are we sinful? Of course we are! Bu
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Chapter 41 Causes of Disunity How p
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If the Lord was capable of sending
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In summation, any message of righte
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In the celebrated 1848 Sabbath Conf
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Chapter 43 Christ, the Key to Unity
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you shall die") that the day Adam s
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--Ann Walper Endnotes: [1] Ellen G.
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"the former rain," and the "latter
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Chapter 45 Images of Unity The Bibl
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Since the only flesh that there is
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Chapter 46 When Conflicts Arise The
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Those who "seemed to be pillars" (C
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Chapter 47 Unity in Faith The Quart
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H. Kellogg at Battle Creek, and inf
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common temptations and inclinations
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[9] Ellen G. White, The Desire of A
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proclaim the gospel for two thousan
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... "Christ desires unity, but He d
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John 4:10). Truly this "propitiatio
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Here is where the "gospel" comes in
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Chapter 50 Unity in Worship Meeting
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oth you and the sons of Israel; and
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Chapter 51 Church Organization and
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years of Ellen White's long lifetim
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of organization; it is the collecti
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accordingly. They are the ones who
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present age, while we wait for the
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Sabbath School Today, Volume 9 - Paul E. Penno

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