My Identity in Christ 365 Daily Devotionals “. and in Him you have been made complete . .” Colossians 2:10 ii iii Youth Ministries Department My Identity in Christ General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist® Church 365 Daily Devotionals Copyright © 2011 by General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist® Church All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, Written by Debbonaire Kovacs or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Credits Department Director: Gilbert Cangy Project Supervisor: Jonatan Tejel Author: Debbonaire Kovacs Copyeditor: Erica Richards Cover and interior design: Jonatan Tejel Reviewed by the Biblical Research Institute Printed by Cadmus Communications, Conklin, New York General Conference Youth Ministries Department 2011 iv v Reflections on Identity An Introduction by Gilbert Cangy Meals are ready, shoes are polished, clothes are pressed, the front and backyard are clean, the floor shines, the best meals of the week are prepared, showers have been taken; as the sun is setting, we gather around our mother for worship. It is Sabbath. Sometimes, I would get home late, distracted by an after-school football game; I would then have to face my mother, and the bamboo rod never failed to leave its marks. It was a challenge to sing praises after the ordeal. These are enduring memories of my home. In many ways, the home I grew up in defined my identity as a Seventh-day Adventist. It was forged in an environment where I saw my mother practice giving God the first place in our family life, in times of joy and adversity. I do not think I missed a single Sabbath service or a Wednesday prayer meeting in my childhood and adolescent years, not even during exams. I sensed I belonged to a worldwide community that was making a difference for Jesus in the world. Mission stories told us so and in our family worship we prayed for the Mission, the Union, the Division and the General Conference leaders. I had little knowledge of what all that meant, but I knew we were part of a worldwide movement of God with a keen sense of its special calling to preach the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14. Jesus was at the centre of this movement of destiny, which had young people at the core of its leadership at the very beginning. A small group of faithful people emerging from a bitter disappointment had grown to establish a worldwide presence, and God had raised a young prophet to assist our church in defining its character, purpose, and mission. It would be fair to say that there are times when my church, in its passion to impress the world of the soon coming of Jesus, focuses so much on the circumstances of His coming—the pre-advent judgment, the mark of the beast, the fall of Babylon—that sometimes it overlooks the heart of the everlasting gospel. The story of Jesus is central to our faith and lives as Seventh-day Adventist Christians. We share the Sabbath, the prophecies, the sanctuary, and the state of the dead with a hopeless world because these teachings bring Jesus into clearer focus. This is the time for ‘Revival and Reformation’; a revival that begins with the reaffirmation of the good news of Jesus at the heart of our message and a revival of our calling to proclaim the everlasting gospel in the setting of the three angel’s messages. This daily devotional is designed to assist us in rediscovering the faith, mission, and way of life that makes us who we are. We will revisit biblical stories, learn more about our church’s history, and study our 28 fundamental beliefs. As Adventists, we are humbled by the privilege and responsibility to have been entrusted with this special calling to share our hope in, and prepare for the soon coming of Jesus. We identify with Paul when he assured his readers that he had resolved to know nothing while he was with them “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). This remains the centre of our faith, our church, and our lives. This is our true identity. vi vii WHO AM I . REALLY? day 1 God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” Genesis 1:26, first part, The Message “Who are you?” It’s one of the most common questions in life. “I’m Anna Perez.” Is that an answer? Well, yes and no. Often people who ask this question only want to know what our name is. But as we move through the years that end childhood and begin adulthood, the question grows more urgent. Who am I? I am a son . a daughter . a friend . a student . an artist . a maker . a scientist . a technologist . a Christian . a Seventh-day Adventist. This year, we are going on a journey through time and space. In the first quarter, we will peek in on patriarchs and wise women, on kings and priests and servant girls, as we seek to understand Our Source by looking more deeply into the biblical stories of the early people on this earth, those who first learned who God is and how to relate to Him. During the second quarter we will visit people from the centuries as they pass, and learn about the heritage and roots of our faith and of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Then we will seek the source and the heart of our most cherished values by studying the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination throughout the third and fourth quarters. Along the way, we will attempt to discover some answers to that perennial question, who am I really? Or at least we’ll learn some questions to ask ourselves and God as we seek to uncover those answers. Sometimes the best answers come through the questions themselves. As we journey through the centuries, we will journey to the heart of God . and to our own truest, deepest selves. Who am I? I am a beloved child of God. I didn’t just happen. God made me because He wanted me. Creator of the cosmos, show me how to know You, not just to know about You, but to really know You at the heart level. Show me how to know that You know me—the real me, the me that is so hidden that often I don’t see it myself. As we walk together through the hills and valleys of this year, show me more and more how to truly be the me You are creating me to be. viii 1 day 2 A HANDMADE WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT OF A PLANET day 3 God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish He created them male and female. Genesis 1:27, The Message in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.” Genesis 1:27, 28 The Message There were only two handmade people in history. Genesis says that God “formed” Adam might be a real shock to look at today. We have no idea what a perfect Adam from earth and Eve from his rib. He spoke everything else into existence, but human would look like, even when we try to imagine it. God created Adam powerful people He chose to build, to model, like a sculptor making a statue. Except that no physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He and Eve walked and talked with sculptor ever was able to breathe life into his or her creations! God and were designed to be co-managers of the whole planet. Imagine God bending over the clay, carefully shaping Adam’s nose, creating God was the Maker, and of course, Sovereign. He decided how things were to be each finger and toe, deciding how tall he would be and what kind of hair to give him. done and made all the rules. There were only two: Love God. Love everybody else. Do Imagine Him later putting Adam into a deep sleep, taking a rib from near his heart, and it with all you’ve got. Everything they did, from keeping the garden to celebrating the fashioning it into the perfect partner Adam had been longing for, the most beautiful Sabbath, was based on that one Great Law of Love. handmade woman the world has ever known. Angels were messengers, teaching the new humans about the world and their work, Then imagine being Eve and opening your eyes for the first time. Hovering over telling them stories of heaven and Creation. Perhaps they taught them about managing you is the shining face of your Maker, beaming on you with love and joy. You sit up and the animal and plant kingdoms. take a breath. How beautiful everything is! Adam and Eve were next in what you might think of as a hierarchy of love. There Then the Maker says, “Here, let Me help you up. There is someone waiting to meet was no king/subject or boss/employee relationship such as we think of now.