SDA Youth in the Last Days

     A man sat outside of his dwelling taking in the delicious view of the mountains, hills, and chuckling streams.  And as he squinted his eyes toward the horizon, he noted three travelers coming his way.  Being a courteous man, he immediately ran up the dusty path and entreated them to stay by and eat a little.  They accepted his invitation and rested themselves under a shady tree before setting out once again.  But before the travelers had left their generous host, they communed among themselves, and decided, Yes, we’ll tell him .  The Lord told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom because of its great wickedness.  But He didn’t just tell him and leave; He wanted to hear what Abraham thought about it first.  Why?  Because Abraham had become God’s friend.      That is just one example of the closeness involved in a friendship with God.  Think of someone who is your friend that you look up to--a ment...

A tomato seed is planted in the ground. One day, the seed sprouts and begins to grow. Eventually it turns into a handsome plant and a few small tomatoes start to grow.      “I think I would like to keep all of my fruit to myself.” The tomato plant says to itself as it admires its ripening fruit. Over the next few weeks, the fruit turns from a pale green to a deep red. The plant is proud of its fruit and spends hours just gazing at it.      Days pass, and slowly the plant watches as the fruit starts turning a strange shade of brown and slowly begins to shrivel up.      One day, the plant no longer can stand the smell of the rotting fruit and tearfully lets it fall to the ground.      Large rain clouds roll in overhead and a giant storm looms on the horizon. Large drops of water plop here and there and multiply in strength and speed. Soon buckets of water are flying down from the clouds and landing on the earth below. A nea...

Bang, bang, bang! You hear someone pound on the door. You glance out the window and gasp as you see a brightly dressed man standing on your doorstep, waiting for you to answer the door. From the colors of his uniform, you can tell that he is a messenger from the king.   You rush to the door and open it eagerly. The messenger hands you an official looking envelope and then hurries back to the palace. You eagerly tear open the seal and then read the beautiful writing that flows across the page. You gasp in delight! It is an invitation to an audience with the king! The letter says that you will be able to ask him some favors and that he will grant them!   You immediately begin to get ready. You choose your finest clothes to wear at the palace and you spend hours just trying to think of what you will ask the king.   Finally the day of your audience with the king arrives. You are ushered into the anteroom and you sit down to wait. As you wait, do y...

     The sun began slipping away behind the hills as Jesus and His disciples walked out of the beautiful city of Jerusalem towards the Garden of Gethsemane, His favorite place to commune with His Father. Though His disciples were largely ignorant of what was about to transpire, Christ knew that this night would be exceedingly difficult for Himself.      As they arrived at the garden, Jesus bid the rest of His disciples remain at the gate while He took His three closest earthly companions, Peter, James, and John, upward with Him towards the heart of the garden. Suddenly, Jesus began walking slower and slower, struggling more with each step into the garden. When they reached the secluded area, He told them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death,” and bid them tarry and pray.      At this point, unbeknownst to the observing three, the weight of the sins of the world had begun to lay heavily on the Redeemer, resting weightier every mom...

“I’ll do something about it once it gets here,” the weathered old farmer muttered to himself, pruning one more branch off of his barren apple tree. For years he had tended this orchard, but nothing but a few rotten apples had ever grown. Situated on this island’s shore, his little orchard consumed all of his time. He did have a book on growing apples, but he didn’t really feel like reading it. Thus, he spent all of his time pruning, fertilizing, and watering it - all his own way, hoping that something would grow. “Tidal wave! The boat will leave the island at midnight sharp!” The warning call resounded across the island. As there were no hills on the small island, complete evacuation was the only escape route. The old farmer looked up from his work. His gaze met an enormous wave slowly thundering towards the helpless island. “I’ll do something about it once it gets here. I mean, it’s gotta be at least a mile away yet. Once it’s actually close, I’ll grab my stuff and head t...

The day dawns bright like any other day. The sun sends its warm rays down toward earth, birds chirp merrily in the trees, and everyone goes on with their normal everyday lives.      A man and woman get into their brand new car and head to their downtown office to work. They impatiently make their way through slow traffic and finally arrive at their large office. Before long, they are both sitting at their desks, in expensive leather chairs, working on important jobs.      A yellow bus winds its way down the road to an elementary school. The blond curls of a little girl bounce as she chatters merrily with a friend. Soon the bus comes to a stop and they arrive at their destination. The girls skip happily into school, and sit down at their little desks.      Back in the suburbs of the city, a mother and her children start the new day by turning on the TV. The siblings squabble over shows and fight over the remote, and the mother, tired fro...

“ Let there be light ” God’s thunderous voice booms across a shapeless, dark object. Immediately, you see streams of light flowing across a lump of darkness.    “ Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters ” God’s voice booms and you watch in wonder as clouds rise and form a blanket around a mass of swirling water.    “ Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear ” God says, and you watch in awe as dry land peeks out from beneath the rolling waves.    Then God says, “ Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth ” Immediately, the bare and desolate landscape turns a vivid green. You stare in delight as meadows bloom and forests appear.    “ Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let t...