Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “The Creation”, pages 44-51, and “The Call of Abraham”, pages 125-131, in Patriarchs and Prophets. God’s original purpose in the creation of humanity is also reflected in the institutions of the family (Gen. 2:21-24) and the Sabbath. The Sabbath was intended for all humanity, as Jesus clearly indicated in Mark 2:27-28. In fact, its universal nature is … Continue reading –>
In calling Abraham to be His servant, God chose for Himself a people to represent Him to the world. This calling and election was an act of God’s love and grace. God’s call to Israel was central to His plan for the restoration of all humanity after the devastation and disunity caused by the Fall. … Continue reading –>
The three great monotheistic world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, look to Abraham as their father. For Christians, this association is a spiritual relationship. When called to leave his country in Mesopotamia, Abraham was told that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3, NKJV; see also Gen. 18:18, Gen. 22:18). The blessing came … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 11:1-9. What happened here that makes the problem of separation and disunity worse? The next events chronicled by the Bible after the Flood are the construction of the Tower of Babel, the confusion of languages, and then the dispersion of people, who so far had spoken one language. Perhaps attracted by the beauty of … Continue reading –>
The consequences of the Fall were enormous. The disobedience of Adam and Eve started the rupture of a harmonious interdependence between all life forms. Even worse, it started the disunity, discord, and divisions among human beings that exist even today. The disharmony is seen immediately in how Adam and Eve sought to put the blame … Continue reading –>
A clear message flowing out of the Creation story in Genesis Chapters 1 and 2 is the overall harmony that existed at the end of the week of Creation. God’s final words that all was “very good” (Gen. 1:31) refer not only to aesthetic beauty but also to the absence of any element of evil or discord … Continue reading –>
Our Unity in Christ The church is God’s family on earth: serving, studying, and worshiping together. Looking to Jesus as its leader and Redeemer, the church is called to take the good news of salvation to all people. Number 14 of the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church states, in part: “The church is … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 1:26-27, 1 John 4:7-8, 1 John 4:16, Gen. 3:16-19, Gen. 11:1-9; Gal. 3:29; Deut. 7:6-11. Memory Text: “Then [God] brought [Abraham] outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the LORD, and He … Continue reading –>
Healthy Church for the Rich By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission Kiyong Kwon, a business owner and church planter, chose an affluent suburb of South Korea’s capital, Seoul, for his second church plant. His first church, opened in a rural area four years earlier, was filled to overflowing, and he wanted a new challenge. “When God … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member should be a channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His … Continue reading –>
