Praying Without Ceasing By Andrew McChesney Ning Cing’s two daughters wanted to go to a Seventh-day Adventist school when they arrived in the United States as refugees from Myanmar. Eight-year-old Lun made it a matter of prayer during morning and evening family worship. “Please, God, help us,” she prayed. “We want to go to an … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “When you find your work hard, when you complain of difficulties and trials, when you say that you have no strength to withstand temptation, that you cannot overcome impatience, and that the Christian life is uphill work, be sure that you are not bearing the yoke of Christ; you are bearing the yoke … Continue reading –>
Jesus’ final statement in Matthew 11:30 uses the imagery of bearing a burden: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (NKJV). Moses was delighted to see his father-in-law Jethro after Israel had left Egypt and crossed the sea. Read Exodus 18:13-22. What does bearing another person’s burden look like in this story? Exodus 18:13 tells us … Continue reading –>
We noticed already that Matthew’s use of “yoke” in this section echoes Judaism’s use of the term and that of other New Testament texts referring to a wrong understanding of the law. The Greek term translated as “easy” in the NKJV in Matthew 11:30 can also be translated as “good, pleasant, useful, and benevolent.” Many people around … Continue reading –>
Gentleness is an underrated quality today. Humility is laughed at. Social media has taught us to pay attention to the loud, the noisy, the weird and wild, and the flamboyant. Truly so many of the world’s standards are so opposite of what God deems important and valuable. “A knowledge of the truth depends not so … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 11.29-30. Why does Jesus command us to take His yoke right after He has invited us to give Him our burdens and find true rest? After the first imperative “come” in Matthew 11.28, two more imperatives follow in Matthew 11.29. “Take” and “learn” focus the attention of the audience (and the reader) on … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 11:20-28, when Jesus says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (NKJV). What is the context of this statement? How does Jesus give us this rest? Like all of us, Jesus never spoke without a context. In order to understand Him, we need to … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 11:20-30, Matthew 5:5, Deuteronomy 18:15, Galatians 5:1, Exodus 18:13-22, Galatians 6:2. Memory Text: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What a wonderful promise we have … Continue reading –>
Thanking God for Life By Andrew McChesney Fifteen-year-old Giselle didn’t feel well when she woke up one morning. She prayed before getting out of bed as she always did. “Dear God, thank You for everything You have done for me, especially that I am still alive,” she prayed. She thanks God for life every day. … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “David’s repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his crime. No desire to escape the judgments threatened, inspired his prayer. … He saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. … In the … Continue reading –>
