The Undercover Adventist

  Sabbath School Growing in a Relationship with God  Lesson 2 - Friday Further Thought  Knowing God to Reflect Him Scripture Focus: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” — John 5:39 God does not simply call His people to believe in Him—He calls them to represent Him. That’s a serious responsibility. You can’t reflect a character you don’t truly know. And too often, we rely on secondhand knowledge—what others say about God—while neglecting the one place He has clearly revealed Himself: His Word. The Bible is not just information; it is revelation. It corrects our distorted views, challenges our assumptions, and steadily reshapes how we see God. The truth is, our human perspective is flawed. Sin clouds our understanding. Left to ourselves, we misunderstand His justice, question His love, and sometimes even doubt His intentions. But when you open Scripture with humility, something changes. You begin t...

The Sabbath, Circumcision, and the Seal of God Few subjects generate more confusion than the relationship between the Sabbath, circumcision, and the seal of God. Scripture speaks clearly about each—but it does not use these terms interchangeably. If we want biblical truth, we must let the Bible define its own language. The Sabbath: A Sign Between God and His People The Sabbath is explicitly called a sign in Scripture. “Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a **sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). “It is a **sign between me and the children of Israel for ever” (Exodus 31:17). Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord repeats this: “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them , that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them” (Ezekiel 20:12). The Sabbath is a covenant sign. It identifies the Creator (Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:8–11). It points ...

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Lesson 9 - Wednesday Mystery of God Revealed Read: Colossians 1:26–27 Paul speaks of “the mystery” that had been hidden for ages but is now revealed to the saints. In Scripture, a mystery is not something spooky or unknowable—it is a divine truth once concealed but now made known by God. The mystery Paul celebrates is this: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” For generations, people longed to understand how God would fully restore humanity. The prophets saw glimpses. The sacrificial system pointed forward. But the full picture was not yet clear. Then Jesus came—not just to teach, not just to die, but to dwell in His people through faith. In Colossians 1:26–27, Paul reveals that the mystery is not merely about forgiveness—it is about union. Christ doesn’t just save us from a distance. He lives in us. That changes everything. The Mystery in the Larger Plan In Ephesians 1:7–10, Paul explains that through Christ’s...

  When people ask who my God is, I turn to His own words in Exodus 34:6–7 , where He reveals Himself to Moses. God describes Himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty.” The beauty of God’s character is seen in the perfect balance of love and justice . He is not a cold and distant ruler, nor is He a permissive being who overlooks evil. Instead, He is deeply compassionate, eager to forgive, patient with our weaknesses, and faithful to His promises. At the same time, He is righteous and holy, meaning that sin and injustice will not last forever. What makes my God beautiful is that His justice never overshadows His mercy, and His mercy never cancels out His truth. Both meet in harmony within Him. We see the fullness of this revealed in Jesus Christ, who embodied this passage perfectly—offering forgiveness to the repentant w...

  “The God Who Reveals His Glory” Text: Exodus 34:1–28 The story of Moses ascending Mount Sinai in Exodus 34 is one of the most powerful encounters between God and man in all of Scripture. This was not Moses’ first time on the mountain—it was his seventh trip up Mount Sinai , a number that often signifies completion and fulfillment in the Bible. Each trip had been marked with awe, fear, and intimacy, but this time was different. Moses carried in his hands two new stone tablets , for the first ones had been broken in anger when Israel sinned with the golden calf. This moment was a new beginning—a covenant restored, mercy renewed, and God’s glory revealed. Moses’ Anticipation of God’s Glory Imagine Moses climbing once again up that rugged mountain path, the two blank tablets in hand. His heart must have been beating with expectation. After all the failures of the people, after his own intercessions on their behalf, God had promised to show His goodness and His name (Exodus 33:19...

  The Song of Moses: A Song of Victory and Deliverance Text: Exodus 15:1–21; Revelation 15:2–4 Introduction: Music has always been a powerful way to express the soul’s deepest emotions—joy, sorrow, awe, and gratitude. After one of the greatest deliverances in history, Moses and the Israelites did not remain silent—they sang! Exodus 15 records the first song in Scripture: the Song of Moses. It is a song of triumph, worship, and testimony, and it holds significance far beyond the shores of the Red Sea. In fact, this same song echoes into eternity, as seen in Revelation 15, where the redeemed sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The Content of Moses’ Song (Exodus 15:1–18): After the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army, Moses and the Israelites broke out in praise. The song exalts God’s power , His faithfulness , and His victory over evil. Verse 1 opens with a declaration: "I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the h...

“I Do Not Know the Lord” Text: Exodus 5:1–2 In Exodus 5, Moses and Aaron deliver a bold and divine message to Pharaoh: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” (Exod. 5:1) But Pharaoh’s reply is defiant and dismissive: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” (Exod. 5:2) This short exchange is a collision of two worldviews: God’s authority versus human pride. And Pharaoh’s response reveals more than a personal refusal—it reflects the heart of rebellion that still resists God today. Pharaoh’s Response: Rejection and Ignorance Pharaoh responds with two declarations : “Who is the Lord?” Pharaoh didn’t deny gods existed—he had a whole pantheon of them. But Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, was unknown to him. He saw no reason to submit to this foreign deity. “I do not know the Lord… I will not let Israel go.” T...

  “That I May Know Him” Text: Exodus 5:1–2 “Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”’” What would you say to someone who says, “I do not know the Lord”? Not in rebellion, not in mockery, but simply in honesty? That question was asked long ago by Pharaoh—though his version was full of pride and resistance. But what about today, when someone says it out of confusion, curiosity, or even sadness? “I don’t know the Lord.” Today, I want us to walk through how God responded to that statement in Exodus and how we can lovingly respond to those who say it today. Pharaoh’s Words: “I Do Not Know the Lord” Pharaoh’s statement in Exodus 5:2 was blunt: “I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” It was not a quest...

  “The God Who Still Speaks: Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” Text: Exodus 3:1–6 There are moments in Scripture when heaven touches earth in a powerful way. One such moment occurs in Exodus 3, when Moses, a shepherd tending flocks in the wilderness, comes face to face with a burning bush—a bush that is ablaze with fire, yet not consumed. From this miraculous sight, God speaks. And what He says changes everything. Let us focus today on what the Lord says in verses 1–6, especially how He introduces Himself as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” What is the significance of this? Why does God describe Himself this way, and what does it mean for Moses—and for us? A Miraculous Encounter in a Dry Land (Exodus 3:1–3): Moses was in Midian, living in the quiet obscurity of a shepherd’s life. He had fled Egypt decades earlier, having failed in his own strength to deliver his people. Now, years later, God appears—not in a palace, not in a temp...

  "The Fall of Babylon and the Only True Deliverer" Scripture Texts: Daniel 5:18–31 & Revelation 16:12–19 In Daniel 5 and Revelation 16, we read of two falls—two moments of divine judgment upon proud empires. One is historical, the other prophetic. One involved Cyrus, king of Persia, who conquered ancient Babylon. The other describes the future fall of spiritual Babylon , in the last days before Christ returns. Both stories are connected by imagery, warnings, and a powerful truth: only Jesus is the true Savior. Earthly powers rise and fall, but the Kingdom of God endures forever. The Pride and Fall of Babylon (Daniel 5:18–31) Belshazzar, king of Babylon, knew about the humbling of his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. Yet he mocked the God of heaven by drinking from the sacred temple vessels, praising gods of gold and silver. At that moment, a hand wrote a mysterious message on the wall: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." Daniel interpreted it: Belshazzar had been ...

  "The Writing on the Wall: Lessons from Belshazzar's Fall" Text: Daniel 5:1–31 In Daniel 5, we witness a sobering moment in biblical history—the fall of Babylon’s King Belshazzar, brought about not by a lack of military power, but by a spiritual failure. The king held a grand feast, using sacred vessels from God’s temple to toast idols of gold, silver, and stone. In that moment of defiance, a hand appeared, writing words on the wall that neither he nor his wise men could understand. But Daniel, God’s servant, explained it clearly: Belshazzar’s kingdom was over, and so was his life. This chapter is more than history—it is prophecy in motion, echoing spiritual warnings for the last days. Let’s explore three key spiritual lessons we can take from this account and how they relate to us today. Pride Leads to a Fall Belshazzar knew about his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel reminded him in verses 18–21 that Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled by God until he acknowledged...

  Jonah, a Reluctant Prophet—A Sign of Judgment and Mercy The story of Jonah is not just a tale of a runaway prophet and a big fish—it’s a story about the mercy of God, the resistance of the human heart, and the seriousness of judgment. It’s also one of the few Old Testament stories that Jesus directly references as a sign for His generation—and ours. Jonah, the Reluctant Prophet God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and call the people to repentance. But Jonah ran in the opposite direction. Why? Fear and Hatred : Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a cruel and powerful enemy of Israel. Jonah feared the Ninevites, but more than that, he hated them. He didn’t want them to receive God’s mercy. God’s Character : In Jonah 4:2, after the people repent and God spares them, Jonah says, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love.” That was Jonah’s issue. He didn’t want God to show mercy to his enemies. He wanted justice—on his terms. ...