 Welcome to our Cornerstone Connection Lesson today on set we have Kimberley, Silas, Misati and Chabismak. On instruments we have Subira and PC and Joyce would be our sign language interpreter. Before we start let's start with the word of prayer. Oh God we come before you this day for thanksgiving and the gift of life was about to start. May you give us spirit of understanding and just name my prayer and believe in man. So the title of our mission story today is really hard exam. Kashish is only 13 years old but she is already learning one of the oldest languages in the world. Kashish is learning Sanskrit at a seventh day adventure school in northern India. Sanskrit is the ancient language of India. Noa knows exactly how old it is but people say they were using it in India at least 1500 years before Jesus was born. Today all Indian school children have learned Sanskrit because Hindi and many other languages in India are based on Sanskrit. But Sanskrit is a hard language to learn. The words are difficult to pronounce. The way a word is pronounced depends on if there is a dot below the word, a dot above the word or a dot at the end of the word. A child has to look at the word very carefully to see where the dot is in order to know how to pronounce the word correctly. Not many people speak Sanskrit. It is usually only spoken by Hindu priests when there is a chance for religious rituals. Kashish comes from a seventh day Adventist family. She never had anyone speak Sanskrit except in school. It was hard. But then Kashish fell sick the day before a big exam in Sanskrit. She needed to study for the exam when she came home from school. But her forehead felt really hot. She felt too weak to stand. She didn't feel any better lying in bed. She would only think about the dreaded Sanskrit exam. She decided to pray. Heavenly Father, please heal me soon. She prayed. Please help me tomorrow to pass the exam and get a good grade tomorrow. Amen. As soon as she finished the prayer, she felt better. She opened her textbook and studied for the exam as best as she could. She also reviewed notes that she had taken in class. She wasn't able to study much. Just a few things here and there. The next morning, Kashish felt strong enough to go to school. But she felt nervous. She knew that she wasn't ready for the exam. Before leaving the house, she prayed to God for help. At school, the teacher gave Kashish a piece of paper with a list of questions written in Sanskrit. Kashish looked at the questions. She looked carefully to see if there was a dot below the word, a dot above the word, or a dot at the end of the word. She blinked. She looked again. She couldn't believe her eyes. The questions on the exam paper were exactly what she had studied the previous day. She knew all the answers. God had heard her prayer. Kashish was so happy. An hour later, Kashish finished the exam and handed it in. Two days later, she got the results. The teacher had given her 13.5 points out of 15 points. It was a very good grade. Kashish smiled. After that experience, Kashish wants to encourage other boys and girls to pray. I would like to say that there is power in prayer, she said. Once I had an exam in Sanskrit. It's a really hard language and I wasn't ready. I didn't prepare well but I prayed and God gave me a good grade on the exam. Part of this quarter's 13th Sabbath offering will help construct a new school building for Kashish and other students in any India. The 450 students at Kashish school now study in an old building that was built by Kashish in 1976. Thank you for helping to give Kashish and her classmates a new school building. Good morning, good evening, good afternoon, wherever you are. Happy Sabbath. Oh, it's a joy to have you here together with us. As we begin a new lesson entitled, Who's Counting? Danya Ne Sabu. But before we start, I'd just like to introduce some of our finalists over here. We'll start here from my right. Go ahead, Kimberley. Happy Sabbath. My name is Kimberley, I'm happy to be here with you. Happy to have you too. My name is Silas and I'm happy to have you here. I am Miss Sati, Miss Sati Yambani, I'm thrilled to be here. Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. Before we start Silas, please pray for us. Okay, let's pray. We pray for you. Thank you for this day. As we dive into this lesson, pray that you may be with us, guide us. Give us understanding. Who's counting? Who's counting? That's the title of our lesson. Ladies and gentlemen, in this world that's filled with sin and tumult and trouble, we often think that who on earth is faithful to God. Who on earth still obeys God. But we have an assurance in today's lesson that indeed there are some people who are still faithful to God. And just as we begin, we want to go right into the interactive part of our lesson and discuss what do you think? What do you think? Kimberley, what do you think? What do you think? Okay, so on to the what do you think section. This is either or so that should be your answer. Think through the following questions and prepare to defend the side you take. The first question is, since it is so difficult to know a person's heart, do you believe a majority of people will be saved or a minority of people will be saved? So what do you think panel? As of personally, I think a minority of people will be saved. As in just a really small number compared to the actual. The reason I say that is first I count the openly wicked. Those people are just openly wicked. So there are those straight to the fire of hell. Then there are plenty hypocritical Christians, plenty of those. Then there are typical people who have decided to make sin their home. Then there are those Christians or believers, those religious people who actually live up to their faith and their values. Then there are those people who no one ever thinks they will be saved but because for them in their heart of hearts, their values are correct and they live up to their light and their own values, those will be saved. That's who. Yeah, few people will be saved. What about you? Okay, for me I think that few people will be saved because not because God's grace is not sufficient to save everyone but because people just know what is right, know what is wrong but they say that I'm having the time of my life doing what is wrong, doing it with ease but if you actually think about it, it's actually not with ease, it's disturbing. They have guilt, yeah. On to the second question. Do you think we will be surprised by who is saved since one looks on the outside but God looks on the heart or will we not be surprised by who is saved because our lifestyle tends to convey our deepest values? By their fruits, you will know them. Okay, I want to incline towards the latter that we will know but one thing I do know is the former is what I go with because on the latter we can say by their fruits you shall know them but a lot of the fruits we look for are the fruits of our opinions, not the fruits that are in the world of God because typically it's extremely, look at the world of God is extremely simple because if we just take the ten commandments like this person has no idols, nice, doesn't cast, doesn't swear, doesn't use the name of God in vain, this person has one God, may not be your God but he has one God, has no idols, one God, this person keeps a day of worship, remember the Sabbath day but for them based on where they are they don't know the Sabbath truth. So what they do know is you go to worship on this particular day, that's all they know. They don't kill, they don't steal, they don't commit adultery, they don't lie and they don't cover their neighbour's property. That's God's sort of checklist but for us we're like, I know you must be a Christian, you must look Christianly so that's the thing. I'll go with the former. What about you Silas, what do you think? I think I'll go with the latter because if you think about it think about the story of Moses where he was well-off threw out the journey in the wilderness then it reached the one point when he was told to speak to the rock and he decided to heed the rock because of anger and he didn't make it to the promised land. Yeah. Alright Kimberley, ask us the last one. Before we move to the last question I'd like to say, I agree with what Misati says because in my view, I feel as if we always judge people and we always judge them and say oh this one is safe, this one is not. We always have perceptions about people and yet somebody's relationship with God is personal so definitely we'll be shocked because we have our perceptions but then there's the truth about the relationship with God. The third question do you think it is easier to be faithful obedient to God in adversity or it is easier to be faithful to God when positive things are happening? This is where I immediately jump in and I say either. There is no definitive answer but I'd say for most people it is easier to be faithful to God in adversity because a lot of people have normalised suffering and hard life. In unis people have normalised kwenama, just go hungry. That sort of stuff. Because people have normalised being in adversity often people find it easier to be faithful in adversity when the whole world is crumbling and things are falling apart and then you're like Jesus please save me but of course at that point you're hanging on to Christ as a last straw as the thread. But I think that's where the Bible comes in and says it is difficult for a person who has experienced the blessing of God to go away then come back to God because what would happen is if someone has been used to a very prosperous and lovely and amazing life and they have been faithful to God in that if they ever deviate and when you deviate from the laws of God you will suffer of course. So when someone moves into that state of adversity and suffering they're like why is my God? I mean it's actually like the Israelite. It's something small, small problems come in and they're like let's go back people as in for them. But now when God comes through and he's like yes this is our God man those are the Israelite. I think that's it's easier to serve God in terms of adversity because look at it this way when you're suffering you go like if you help me this one time let me say you've made a mistake then your parents the consequences of the mistake basically then you go like if you free me from these consequences but this one time but you actually do you actually think about what you see because life has consequences yes we accept that but you still want to go free from this so I think it's easier to serve God in terms of adversity because someone who is well of they don't really think they need anything more than what they have what they need they can struggle and get because they know how to that's an interesting question by the way I think that it's hard to I think it's hard to serve God period it's hard to serve God whether it's in adversity or it's in prosperity do you remember for example in adversity I think of the matters you can imagine when the persecution is at its height you and your adversity last year when you are being told renounce yet renounce your Christianity and if you don't if you do then you're saved if you don't your head is chopped off and in prosperity I think about the rich young ruler you know how hard it is to serve God when you're wealthy and you need nothing which I think is what you gentlemen are really saying when the world is at your feet you know do you know how hard it is for you to remain humble and to remember your redeemer and that you are nothing but dust when everybody keeps telling you that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread difficult it's difficult to serve God and it's an attitude that we must have having said that we now want to move into the story of a man who found it difficult to serve God even in prosperity at the height of his at the height really of his abilities at the height of his abilities and I want to get this right just give me a moment indeed yes Mr Misati Nyambani is going to take us through the out of your story my good son take us through the into the story so right here we are the Elijah and Elijah asks the people between two opinions how long will you waver between two gods if God is God serve him if Baal is God serve him and now the climax here is the guy goes into a cave after such a powerful moving speech he's like guys I'm not going to hide here a bit no guys so now the word of the Lord comes to him and asks him what are you doing here like what are you doing in this cave he's like I have been zillas I have fought very hard these people are hard headed these people don't want to decide I and I only am left in the whole of Israel that's why the word of the Lord comes and says come outside the Lord shall come the Lord shall pass by and what happens is the Lord passes there is a wind the wind comes in blows but God is not in the wind and earthquake comes but God is not in the earthquake then a still small voice comes and asks him again what are you doing in this cave and he just goes back and says there has been zillas where he had fought all my kind of stuff and that he was the only one left and God decides that you know what your solution isn't for me to give you a pep talk that your solution is I'm going to give you work to me because you go and anoint Hazael king of Aram then I want you to anoint Jehu king of Israel and lastly I want you to anoint Elisha as a prophet to stand in your place after you go after him and he says whoever escapes Hazael Jehu shall destroy whoever escapes Jehu Elisha shall utterly destroy then he continues and drops the bombshell and says but I have kept for myself 7000 that's exactly exactly 7000 as a result for me who have not bowed the knee to Baal nor have kissed his image that's a very good summary of that story and I must say very well done now there are various aspects that we see coming out of this story number one the first aspect that we see is probably Elijah's despair rightly as you have put it he has just come from a high he has given the speech of a lifetime he has slain the prophets of Baal he has stuck it to the man and has come out victorious but then he flees perhaps maybe just let me ask the panel why does he flee? what's going through his mind we saw it in last week's lesson but why does he flee and what's going through his mind I think one thing that clearly happens is sadly he was scared by a woman into hiding that sounds really misogynistic by the way that's the fact he was scared by a woman and then he ran for his life away from Jezebel because Jezebel said you know what if I get my hands on you no that's true so this guy is scared he has been zealous for the Lord but now he has been threatened and are threatened that really shakes him up and he's told where we by this time tomorrow morning you will be just the same as those prophets of Baal and so he flees he runs away and hides in this cave hides in this cave now second phase as he's in this cave how does he feel while he's in the cave he repeats it almost three times you say God comes to him and he says I've been very zealous for the Lord how does he feel is there some sense of abandonment is there some sense of loneliness in his reaction what do you guys think how does this guy feel while he's in the cave now how does he feel I feel as if at that moment in time he's as he said he feels abandoned it's like that time in your life when you're going through a problem and you feel like God is not there at all so that's how he feels because he feels as if all these people want to kill me where are you God why aren't you you're not coming through for me so he's definitely and he feels abandoned he does feel abandoned I think that it's not realistic for Elijah to feel abandoned at this point because okay not really realistic about being abandoned but you remember that when there was no when he had say that if the fire of God lights it will rain and there was no there were no clouds and he prayed until there were clouds so if if he felt abandoned in some way he could talk to God and God would give him confidence that's a good point that you're bringing about realistically you know what internship papa said but he has just come from a victory he has just come from winning big time it's unreasonable for him to feel that and I think that's why God comes and asks him what on earth are you doing here Elijah but you see from his perspective number one he thinks that he's alone nobody showed up and just let me just try and put the point out there nobody showed up when he was killing those prophets of Baal nobody from the side of the Lord came out but it is only after he received that reassurance that God has saved 7000 people and I think Misati brought out that number out quite clearly 7000 people there were 7000 people who were just like him who still worshiped God who still worshiped God he does feel somewhat lonely he does feel somewhat with the drone but after God comes and indeed gives him work and tells him Elijah there are more people who are worshiping me as well you're not alone and he gives him something to do work to do then we see that he's able to he feels encouraged now which is a different set all together just another final point what similarities do we see between Elijah and ourselves just looking at Elijah sometimes we might be just like Elijah we are working tremendously hard for God but then we feel as if we are the only ones who are doing this all our other friends are living their lives doing what they want seeing what they think or rather fulfilling what they think is right but then we are here worshiping God and we feel as if God is not reciprocating now how does that tie into our lives in day to day and how can we seek to to overcome that from the story of Elijah I think that no sometimes we it's after an exam you actually kind of didn't read but you passed you had prayed the night before thinking that well I need to pray and God will hear me and help me pass this exam you obviously know you didn't read and then you pass and then the following week let's say you now on holiday and then you feel like where is God at this point so I think we are like Elijah after we see something we are not sure about it and then we start asking ourselves where is God yeah so I think in such cases we are like Elijah yeah I think I understand somewhat what you have said when we are saying that we have to have that faith in God and that God actually does come through in those moments and seeks us out I want to move on to uh the Monday part of our lesson and this is the key text the key text and I just wanted Silas to read for us the key text and tie it into the story particularly just looking at Elijah himself and how deal as he was for God in fulfilling his mission okay the key text is first Kings 19 was 14 15 and 18 so it says Elijah replied I have been very Silas for the Lord God Almighty the Israelites have rejected your covenant I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me the Lord said to him I reserve 7000 in Israel all who's needs have not bowed down to Baal and those who's mouth have not kissed him yeah well you know from the key text again it's just that reassurance that God is giving Elijah you know and he's telling Elijah that you know you're not alone and even us sometimes when we might feel lonely when we might feel as if we are the only ones who are actually worshipping God God knows that there are some people who are worshipping him that we might not have an idea about and it really points us back to the title of our lesson who is counting who is counting God is counting God is counting alright Kimberley perhaps maybe you can just read for us the flashlight once again and just relate it to the key text and even to our title okay so the flashlight Amar atzin habitat scattered in every land there are those who have not bowed how who have not bowed the need to bow like the stars of heaven appear only at night these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people then let no man attempt to number Israel today but let everyone have a heart of flesh a heart of tender sympathy a heart that like the heart of Christ reaches out for the salvation of a lost world so okay to relate this to the key text I think it's just talking about the way you may think that maybe you're the only one who's worshipping God following Jesus and doing everything right but you're not alone and we might not be many but we are quite a number that are still in the face and still working towards the good of heaven amen amen I really empathize with teens today and youth today whenever you whenever I log on to Instagram whenever I'm on TikTok whenever I'm on YouTube and you just look at really the world today and it's filled with debauchery and lewdness but it is comforting to know that God still has these people and that we are not alone in this world alright very good now having said that there are some verses that in times of loneliness in times when you feel that you're all alone and in the lesson today they are found in the punchlines Misati, why don't you take us through some of the punchlines tell us which one is your favorite and then maybe you can ask us to read some as well interesting yeah so the punchline that stood out for me is some 121 help lord for no one is faithful anymore those who are loyal have vanished from the human race now I'm not sure if this was David who wrote this but Assamist wrote it and I think for him it was at the point where he was feeling I think he was feeling like Elijah at that point and I think it's at that point where God slides into the DM and he's like my guy, my girl relax relax I got you I mean yeah stands out for me so guys what stands out for you yeah that's a great one maybe you can assign us to read some of those punchlines so I think you can pick your pick your favorite whatever has stood out for you alright no that's a good one why don't you pick your favorite Kimberly I'll read first Peter 1 verse 8 though you have not seen him you love him and even though you do not see him now you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy amen amen that's a lovely verse you know who's on our side you know when you know sometimes you might think who's got your back you know the world have everybody you say oh this is what who and so and so does oh this is what so and so does but you know who's on our side god is on our side do you know who god is he rules the universe can you imagine the king of the universe is on your side and this verse first Peter 1 verse 18 it says though you have not seen him you love him and even though you do not see him you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy when you remember when you remember who in whom you have believed then God is unmatched really Mr. Silas pick your favorite and read it out okay my favorite is Revelation 14 verse 12 it says he is a call for the injurance of sins those who keep his commandments of God and hold fast the faith of Jesus this verse technically says that God is gonna reward you to keep his commandments faithfully and you know sometimes you think that if God rules the whole universe there are so many planets yeah there are so many people in this world why would he remember me only and and forget about someone who but God is has the ability to remember each one of us and reward us amen that's a wonderful verse it's a wonderful verse and it's saying here is the call of endurance of the saints those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus Christ this is a description of the saints here on earth underneath the sun that they are those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith and that's wonderful my favourite verse by far is John 10 14 16 and it says I am the good shepherd I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the father knows me and I know the father I lay down my life for my sheep I have other sheep that are not in this ship pen I must bring them also they too will listen to my voice and I and there shall be one flock and one shepherd that are assuring us that are not to doa not to kofamodja God really knows us He really knows who we are and we are not alone and there are people who we will not even as Misati said at the start who you might not even realise you know are part of that sheep fold but we are together you know one thing just let me say that I love about the Seventh Day Adventist Church is that this church is present within 256 countries worldwide present within 256 countries worldwide we have people all over the world who believe who believe in the creation of this world in one creator and in salvation through Jesus Christ amen that is a wonderful wonderful wonderful promise that we have God will come one day and take all of us to heaven and so there is no need to fear there is no need to be discouraged there are other people who keep the faith even if the faith is not kept perhaps in your neighbourhood even if the faith is not kept in your estate even if the faith is not kept in your block you know you're struggling with the Sabbath on Sabbath day, Sabbath morning that's when Club Kiboko is there that is when everyone is watching the march Friday evening at 4.30 and you are an outcast because you're not able to join in I remember when I was growing up every Sabbath morning that was when football that was when all tournaments were there and if you did not play you were almost an outcast but then we can take heart in that there are other people who believe what we believe who are not afraid to stand up for God as we close I just would like to ask Kimberley to read for us the father insight the father insight Kimberley and it is patients and their childs will keep us from staying and doing those things which will injure our own souls and injure those with whom we associate let your childs be what they will nothing can seriously injure you if you exercise patience if you are come and excited when in trying positions yes indeed that's wonderful advice advising us to be patient under trials so ladies and gentlemen we have come to the end of our lesson and perhaps just before we close I'll just give maybe one or two minutes to each of our panelists just to give their closing parting short you know really what they took from the lesson and what they think that you can gain from the lesson as well so my parting short is from what we've learnt today we can we should know that in everything God is with us like Elijah was experiencing this challenge but God came through for him and when he cried out to him God answered him he gave him an answer and so in our lives God will come through for you keep on asking God keep on being faithful and keep on trusting in him amen God will come through for you Silas I just want to say that when we feel that God has abandoned us we should think about the promises he has kept for us and his promises that he's fulfilled to us and claimed amen think about the promises that God has made to us and as he strikes me that there are always people with whom though you may not be able to see it like at the moment or some of that sort but as long as you let go over which you have to get something that's much better you know what comforts me is just the law of the universe that nature cannot permit an existence of a vacuum so if there is space the space must be filled with something that is and because of that very reason if there is space for people with whom you would relate with and you're not in any way trying to numb or medicate the pain I think God has in somehow by magic whatever but somehow you'll end up finding something that perfectly meets your desires provided you keep an open space for you yeah that's a very good point God is there for us and he will always meet us at our point of need even if that need is to understand and to know that there are people who worship him people who are true to him and to encourage us to say that we too can stand firmly for God may God bless you wherever you are God keep you until the next lesson we ask that you may be well now before we close perhaps you can say a prayer for us as we close let's pray thank you God for the goodness because you know that you are a loving father you are a miracle worker and you desire to be with us in every single moment experience and element of our life we desire that we may walk with you and that we may see you and that we may see you through others just name a prayer and believe amen amen and goodbye