Memory Verse
“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little”
Luke 7:47
First Sabbath Offering
Your brothers and sisters in French Polynesia
Often associated with beautiful tropical and idyllic landscapes, the island of Tahiti is located in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France comprised of 121 islands in a land area of 1,359 square miles (3,418 kilometers), spanning over 1,242 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of the southern Pacific Ocean.
Historically, the polytheistic beliefs of the inhabitants of these many islands led to many pagan practices including sun worship, cannibalism and spirit worship. The arrival of Christianity brought change through the efforts of British Christian missionaries who came to these islands in 1797. The French later colonized the area in the late 1800’s. Today, among the population of nearly 279,000 inhabitants, 54% are Protestant, 38% Catholic, and the rest adhere to other beliefs.
The message of Reform arrived in French Polynesia in 1982 with the visit of Brother A. C. Sas. The first members, 24 souls in all, were baptized a year later. The gospel message has continued to spread across the islands and several church groups have been formed since then.
Sadly to this day, our church in French Polynesia has no church (building) of its own and our brethren meet in rented structures or on land privately owned by the members. By God’s grace, in 2013, after much prayer and fasting, a piece of land was found in the district of Arue, almost 20 kilometers from Papeete, Tahiti.
The small membership of this church have made self-sacrificing efforts for many years, cooking and selling vegetarian dishes each week to make the purchase of this property possible. In spite of the exemplary efforts of our brothers and sisters who have worked hard to pay for this land, there is a great need of a building to help spread the message of truth here in these last days of earth’s history.
Therefore we appeal to our brothers and sisters around the world kindly to join us in providing the means to raise up a building in Arue which will serve as a local church and a place for seminars, camp meetings and health work in the capital of French Polynesia.
The uplifting words of 1 Chronicles 22:19 resonate to us today, “Arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God.” May God bless you abundantly and may His work advance around the world.
Daily Lessons
“Simon of Bethany was accounted a disciple of Jesus. He was one of the few Pharisees who had openly joined Christ’s followers. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher, and hoped that He might be the Messiah, but he had not accepted Him as a Saviour. His character was not transformed; his principles were unchanged.”— — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 557.
“Simon had been healed of the leprosy, and it was this that had drawn him to Jesus. He desired to show his gratitude, and at Christ’s last visit to Bethany he made a feast for the Saviour and His disciples.”— — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 557.
“This feast brought together many of the Jews. There was at this time much excitement at Jerusalem. Christ and His mission were attracting greater attention than ever before. Those who had come to the feast closely watched His movements, and some of them with unfriendly eyes.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 557.
“Mary was earnestly listening to every word from the lips of Jesus. In His mercy, Jesus had pardoned her sins, He had called forth her beloved brother from the grave, and Mary’s heart was filled with gratitude. She had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of ‘ointment of spikenard, very costly,’ with which to anoint His body. But now many were declaring that He was about to be crowned king. Her grief was turned to joy, and she was eager to be first in honoring her Lord. Breaking her box of ointment, she poured its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping, moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing hair.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 558, 559.
“[Mary] had sought to avoid observation, and her movements might have passed unnoticed, but the ointment filled the room with its fragrance, and published her act to all present. Judas looked upon this act with great displeasure. Instead of waiting to hear what Christ would say of the matter, he began to whisper his complaints to those near him, throwing reproach upon Christ for suffering such waste. Craftily he made suggestions that would be likely to cause disaffection.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 559.
“Judas was treasurer for the disciples, and from their little store he had secretly drawn for his own use, thus narrowing down their resources to a meager pittance. He was eager to put into the bag all that he could obtain. The treasure in the bag was often drawn upon to relieve the poor; and when something that Judas did not think essential was bought, he would say, Why is this waste? why was not the cost of this put into the bag that I carry for the poor? Now the act of Mary was in such marked contrast to his selfishness that he was put to shame; and according to his custom, he sought to assign a worthy motive for his objection to her gift. Turning to the disciples, he asked, ‘Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.’ Judas had no heart for the poor. Had Mary’s ointment been sold, and the proceeds fallen into his possession, the poor would have received no benefit.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 559.
“Judas had a high opinion of his own executive ability. As a financier he thought himself greatly superior to his fellow disciples, and he had led them to regard him in the same light. He had gained their confidence, and had a strong influence over them. His professed sympathy for the poor deceived them, and his artful insinuation caused them to look distrustfully upon Mary’s devotion.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 559, 560.
“Mary heard the words of criticism. Her heart trembled within her. She feared that her sister would reproach her for extravagance. The Master, too, might think her improvident. Without apology or excuse she was about to shrink away.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 560.
“Simon the host had been influenced by the criticism of Judas upon Mary’s gift, and he was surprised at the conduct of Jesus. His Pharisaic pride was offended. . . .
“By curing Simon of leprosy, Christ had saved him from a living death. But . . . because Christ allowed this woman to approach Him, because He did not indignantly spurn her as one whose sins were too great to be forgiven, because He did not show that He realized she had fallen, Simon was tempted to think that He was not a prophet.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 566.
“[Simon] did not realize that God’s Son must act in God’s way, with compassion, tenderness, and mercy. Simon’s way was to take no notice of Mary’s penitent service. Her act of kissing Christ’s feet and anointing them with ointment was exasperating to his hardheartedness. He thought that if Christ were a prophet, He would recognize sinners and rebuke them. . . .
“As did Nathan with David, Christ concealed His home thrust under the veil of a parable. He threw upon His host the burden of pronouncing sentence upon himself. Simon had led into sin the woman he now despised. She had been deeply wronged by him. . . . But Simon felt himself more righteous than Mary, and Jesus desired him to see how great his guilt really was. He would show him that his sin was greater than hers.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 566, 567.
“Simon now began to see himself in a new light. He saw how Mary was regarded by One who was more than a prophet. He saw that with keen prophetic eye Christ read her heart of love and devotion. Shame seized upon him, and he realized that he was in the presence of One superior to himself.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 567.
“While Mary was a sinner pardoned, [Simon] was a sinner unpardoned. The rigid rule of justice he had desired to enforce against her condemned him.
“Simon was touched by the kindness of Jesus in not openly rebuking him before the guests. He had not been treated as he desired Mary to be treated. He saw that Jesus did not wish to expose his guilt to others, but sought by a true statement of the case to convince his mind, and by pitying kindness to subdue his heart. Stern denunciation would have hardened Simon against repentance, but patient admonition convinced him of his error. He saw the magnitude of the debt which he owed his Lord. His pride was humbled, he repented, and the proud Pharisee became a lowly, self-sacrificing disciple.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 567, 568.
“Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. He might have extinguished every spark of hope in her soul, but He did not. It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity, and in His strength she had overcome.”— — The Desire of Ages, p. 568.