OUR BEREAN CIRCLE STUDY.
By Evelyn M. Riley
“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” The Lord is speaking to his church, telling them if they will but be taught of him, “great” shall be their “peace.” Who does not wish peace of mind and peace with God? It is the great need of the world. This hungry unrest is seen everywhere, and is an evidence of the lack of the word of God, the lack of the power which alone comes by filling the mind and soul with the ennobling, refining, and satisfying words of life and truth. To us God has made so easy the way to study the Bible, that there will be no excuse for us in that day when we shall stand before the great Judge, if we neglect this most important study. Our Berean lessons are one of the blessings God has placed in the hands of every Seventh-day Adventist. It is one of the means God wishes to use to cement us together. These lessons are taken up in a spirited and earnest way in California. All our churches have heartily entered into the study of them. One church says: “We have formed eleven circles,” and further on in the letter speaks of the good already accomplished by their studies. In our Oakland church, circles have been formed to accommodate all ages,—two for the youth, two for the young people, and several for the older members. We have only words of encouragement for the Berean lessons; and as we study in Revelation of the love of God for us, and of the trying ordeals his church will pass through before his coming, I am sure that we shall all be endued with a missionary spirit to do more than we ever have done before to witness for him. Our own hasty and uncontrolled tempers will be calmed and quieted by the gentle influence of his Spirit. We shall seek out the poor and neglected, and improve every opportunity for doing good. We shall wish all to have the same blessings we enjoy. Some one may say, “We don’t live near enough to any of our people to join a circle, or we would study too.” To such we would say, Form a circle in your own home. Could there be a more pleasing picture in the sight of Heaven than a father and mother with their children all gathered around a table, in the evening, studying the Bible together? It will bring union and harmony into your home, and will help you to govern the children more wisely, and will help them to see the wisdom of your commands. May hearts everywhere be gladdened by this study of the book of Revelation.