Memory Verse
“I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord”
Hosea 2:20
First Sabbath Offering
Your brothers and sisters from Honduras
Honduras is the second-largest country in Central America. In a territory extending 43,433 square miles (112,492 km²), it is centrally located and bordered by the nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. Among the population of 10.8 million inhabitants, 48.7% are Catholics, 41% Protestants, 8% atheists, agnostics, or profess no religion, and 3% are of other religions. The official language is Spanish; the national exports are primarily agricultural, followed by electronic equipment.
The SDARM arrived in the 1960’s with the visit of our brothers Silvestre Cabanillas from Perú and Felipe García from Argentina. After many years of labor, the message spread to such an extent that in 2016, the Honduran Union was organized, consisting of three Fields with a combined membership of 542 members and approximately 700 regular visitors who attend frequently.
Because of the age of some of our Field and Union headquarters buildings, they have deteriorated over the years. Some remain incomplete, and one of our Fields is without administrative headquarters. We have made great efforts to provide suitable spaces for our offices, meeting rooms for conferences, and the operation of our missionary school for the growing work. This is why we appeal to your generosity, so that together we can achieve our dream of having headquarters that function as lighthouses of truth, where many can gratefully come to know Jesus.
The Lord motivates us to mutual cooperation when carrying out the projects of His work, shown in His direction to Moses: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.” Exodus 25:2. Devotion to God and a spirit of sacrifice were the first requirements to build the dwelling place of the Most High. The whole community responded unanimously: “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation” (Exodus 35:21).
We thank you in advance for your generous help with this project. May God greatly bless you.
Daily Lessons
“Those to whom God has intrusted important responsibilities have not been brought up in ease and luxury; the noble prophets, the leaders and judges of God’s appointment, have been men whose characters were formed by the stern realities of life.”— — The Signs of the Times, February 19, 1880.
“In the Bible the sacred and enduring character of the relation that exists between Christ and His church is represented by the union of marriage. The Lord has joined His people to Himself by a solemn covenant, He promising to be their God, and they pledging themselves to be His and His alone. . . .
“The unfaithfulness of the church to Christ in permitting her confidence and affection to be turned from Him, and allowing the love of worldly things to occupy the soul, is likened to the violation of the marriage vow. The sin of Israel in departing from the Lord is presented under this figure.”— — The Great Controversy, p. 381.
“God is abundantly able to transform the hearts of Jew and Gentile alike, and to grant to every believer in Christ the blessings promised to Israel. . . . ‘And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrah.’. . .
“Notwithstanding the awful doom pronounced upon the Jews as a nation at the time of their rejection of Jesus of Nazareth, there have lived from age to age many noble, God-fearing Jewish men and women who have suffered in silence. God has comforted their hearts in affliction and has beheld with pity their terrible situation. He has heard the agonizing prayers of those who have sought Him with all the heart for a right understanding of His word. Some have learned to see in the lowly Nazarene whom their forefathers rejected and crucified, the true Messiah of Israel. As their minds have grasped the significance of the familiar prophecies so long obscured by tradition and misinterpretation, their hearts have been filled with gratitude to God for the unspeakable gift He bestows upon every human being who chooses to accept Christ as a personal Saviour.”— — The Acts of the Apostles, p. 379.
“When this gospel shall be presented in its fullness to the Jews, many will accept Christ as the Messiah. Among Christian ministers there are only a few who feel called upon to labor for the Jewish people; but to those who have been often passed by, as well as to all others, the message of mercy and hope in Christ is to come.
“In the closing proclamation of the gospel, when special work is to be done for classes of people hitherto neglected, God expects His messengers to take particular interest in the Jewish people whom they find in all parts of the earth. . . .
“Among the Jews are some who, like Saul of Tarsus, are mighty in the Scriptures, and these will proclaim with wonderful power the immutability of the law of God. The God of Israel will bring this to pass in our day. His arm is not shortened that it cannot save. As His servants labor in faith for those who have long been neglected and despised, His salvation will be revealed.”— — The Acts of the Apostles, p. 380, 381.
“It is as true now as when Christ was upon the earth, that every inroad made by the gospel upon the enemy’s dominion is met by fierce opposition from his vast armies. The conflict that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed. But though Satan is represented as being as strong as the strong man armed, his overthrow will be complete, and everyone who unites with him in choosing apostasy rather than loyalty will perish with him.
“The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes, storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land, follow each other in quick succession. Science seeks to explain all these. The signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other than the true cause. Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they shall not blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture. . . .
“Could the curtain be rolled back, could you discern the purposes of God and the judgments that are about to fall upon a doomed world, could you see your own attitude, you would fear and tremble for your own souls and for the souls of your fellow men. Earnest prayers of heart-rending anguish would go up to heaven. You would weep between the porch and the altar, confessing your spiritual blindness and backsliding.”— — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 407, 408.
“God have mercy. Why will not those who are overtaken in crime manifest repentance proportionate to the enormity of their crime, and fly to Christ for mercy, and heal, as far as possible, the wounds they have made?”— — The Review and Herald, March 24, 1868.
“No matter how weak the sinner may be; no matter how many or how great may have been his transgressions, the Saviour will accept him. Christ loves every member of the human race; for He has bought them all with a price;—and what a price!”— — The Review and Herald, September 3, 1903.
“‘And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call Me Ishi [‘My husband,’ margin]; and shalt call Me no more Baali [‘My lord,’ margin]. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.’ Hosea 2:14–17.”— — Prophets and Kings, p. 298, 299.
“In the last days of this earth’s history, God’s covenant with His commandment-keeping people is to be renewed.”— — Prophets and Kings, p. 299.
“While mercy lingers, while the Saviour is making intercession, let us make thorough work for eternity.”— — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 405.
“Visit your neighbors and show an interest in the salvation of their souls. Arouse every spiritual energy to action. Tell those whom you visit that the end of all things is at hand. The Lord Jesus Christ will open the door of their hearts and will make upon their minds lasting impressions.
“Strive to arouse men and women from their spiritual insensibility. Tell them how you found Jesus and how blessed you have been since you gained an experience in His service. Tell them what blessing comes to you as you sit at the feet of Jesus and learn precious lessons from His word. Tell them of the gladness and joy that there is in the Christian life. Your warm, fervent words will convince them that you have found the pearl of great price. Let your cheerful, encouraging words show that you have certainly found the higher way. This is genuine missionary work, and as it is done, many will awake as from a dream.”— — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 38.
“To the ten tribes, long rebellious and impenitent, was given no promise of complete restoration to their former power in Palestine. Until the end of time, they were to be ‘wanderers among the nations.’ But through Hosea was given a prophecy that set before them the privilege of having a part in the final restoration that is to be made to the people of God at the close of earth’s history, when Christ shall appear as King of kings and Lord of lords. . . . [Hosea 3:4, 5 quoted.]
“In symbolic language Hosea set before the ten tribes God’s plan of restoring to every penitent soul who would unite with His church on earth, the blessings granted Israel in the days of their loyalty to Him in the Promised Land.”— — Prophets and Kings, p. 298.
“‘In that day’ ‘the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, . . . shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.’ Isaiah 10:20. From ‘every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people’ there will be some who will gladly respond to the message, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’ They will turn from every idol that binds them to earth, and will ‘worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ They will free themselves from every entanglement and will stand before the world as monuments of God’s mercy. Obedient to the divine requirements, they will be recognized by angels and by men as those that have kept ‘the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ Revelation 14:6, 7, 12.”— — Prophets and Kings, p. 299, 300.