God is also a sculptor, but not one limited to granite or marble. Instead, He sculpts our characters. He can take a sinful human being and mold and chisel and hammer away until that person reflects something of heaven’s glory. God has given extensive evidence of such profound skills. From cover to cover in Scripture, … Continue reading –>
Bible scholars have often been impressed by the incredible literary quality in the Bible. In fact, many secular colleges teach courses on the Bible as literature. They study it, not because they think it is the Word of God but simply for its literary beauty.1 As Christians, we have the blessing not only of enjoying … Continue reading –>
“ ‘Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose’ ” (1 Chron. 23:5, NIV).1 Try to envision the scene above: four thousand people playing musical instruments in praise of the Lord! That must have been an amazing worship service. God’s … Continue reading –>
After God dramatically delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, He brought them to Mount Sinai. There, He joined them to Himself in a sacred covenant. Among all the varied instructions He gave them there, how was beauty included? Exod. 25:1–9.1 The first half of the book of Exodus details the miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The … Continue reading –>
“But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isa. 64:8).1 When is the first time the Bible reveals God displaying His skills working with “clay”? Gen. 1:26, 27, 31; 2:7. Scripture opens with God creating the first humans out of the “dust … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Isa. 64:5–8, Ps. 51:10, Heb. 8:1–5, 1 Chron. 23:5, Rom. 11:33–36, Acts 9:1–22. Memory Text: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4, NKJV). Key Thought: God as artist? … Continue reading –>
Someone sits in a restaurant, consuming a large meal, filled with fatty food that they wash down with a soft drink. They then finish off with a large bowl of chocolate ice cream covered in hot fudge. That night, before going to bed (and having a little snack before then, too), they get on their … Continue reading –>
“Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well spring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience.”—Ellen G. White, Gospel … Continue reading –>
by Bobby Wagh Raju heard the singing coming from the neighbor’s house and turned his music up as loud as possible. Sometimes he could still hear the singing, and he shouted abuses at the little group of Adventist believers who worshipped next door.[1. Love Thy Neighbor Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com] Other neighbors avoided confronting Raju about … Continue reading –>
One of the questions that those who pray often ask is, “Can my prayers really move God to do something that, otherwise, He might not do?” That’s a logical question. To answer it, all we can do is go to the Word of God and see what it says.1 Read James 4:2; Luke 11:9, 10; James 5:16–18. What … Continue reading –>
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). What important principles does this text teach us in regard to what is required for prayer and what it means to us? 1 In a … Continue reading –>
What do the following texts teach us about Jesus and prayer? What is the context of these verses?1 Luke 3:21, 22 Luke 9:28, 29 Luke 6:12, 13 Heb. 5:7 Matt. 14:23 Luke 22:31, 32 Matt. 26:34–44 Jesus, the spotless Son of God, the one who was without sin, without fault, the one who lived in perfect … Continue reading –>
One day, a young man received a letter from a former co-worker, someone who had retired a number of years earlier. The two workers, to put it mildly, hadn’t gotten along; the one who had left, from the start, had treated the other one badly. Anyway, the worker still there opened the letter and started … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Col. 4:2, Rom. 12:12, Matt. 26:34–44, Heb. 11:6, James 4:2, John 14:15, 1 Thess. 4:3. Memory Text: “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17, NKJV). Key Thought: In numerous places in the Bible the Lord calls us to pray because prayer is an essential component of … Continue reading –>
“The Bible is the most ancient and the most comprehensive history that men possess. It came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and throughout the ages a divine hand has preserved its purity. . . . Here only do we find an authentic account of the origin of nations. Here only is given a … Continue reading –>