Author Leon Wieseltier wrote about what he said was “one of the saddest stories in the world.” He told of an Englishman, named “S.B.,” who had been blind from birth. However, the good news was that, at 52 years old, S.B. had a corneal transplant that gave him sight. For the first time in his … Continue reading –>
Matthew ends his Gospel account with some of the most reassuring words Jesus spoke: “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). What should that mean to us, in practical terms, in our own lives, in our own struggles, failures, and disappointments, and even when we feel that God … Continue reading –>
Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount in the early days of His ministry. It was revolutionary. For starters, He told ordinary people that they were valued and blessed in the eyes of God (Matt. 5:3-12) and that they were salt (Matt. 5:13) and light (Matt. 5:14-16)-two highly prized commodities. He spoke of the importance … Continue reading –>
The issue of where we stand in the cosmic struggle that unfolds around us is made very personal in the parable of the man building a house on the rock. Read Matthew 7:21-27. What is so frightening about this parable? What comes to mind when you imagine this story? Where is the rock and where … Continue reading –>
The great controversy theme is implicit in Jesus’ parable of the sower. The listing of four types of responses to the gospel message indicates that there are more than just “good” and “bad” people in the world. Life is more complex than that, and so we need to be careful how we approach those who … Continue reading –>
“‘Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’” (Matt. 11:29, NKJV). How does taking His “yoke” bring rest to our souls? This offer points to a personal dimension amid the much larger one of Jesus’ mission to free … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 11:29; Rom. 4:1-6; Matt. 13:3-8, Matt. 13:18-23; Matt. 7:21-27; James 2:17; Matt. 7:1-5. Memory Text: “‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’” (Matthew 11:28, NIV). When we think of the great-controversy theme, we tend to think of it in grand, … Continue reading –>
Though one can find writers through the centuries touching on the theme of the great controversy, and though some evangelicals today are looking at the idea more closely-no one has a deeply developed great- controversy worldview as does the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A literal, physical, moral, and spiritual conflict between Christ and Satan is, indeed, … Continue reading –>
In Matthew’s version, while the first temptation focused on appetite and the second on manipulating God, the third was a direct challenge to Christ Himself, to His kingship and to His ultimate mission on earth. Read Matthew 4:8-10, Deuteronomy 34:1-4, and Revelation 21:10. What is the significance of the “exceeding high mountain” that Satan took … Continue reading –>
The first temptation parallels the Exodus but had its roots in the Fall. By placing a priority on faithfulness to God, instead of giving in to appetite, Jesus recovered the ground that Adam lost at the tree of knowledge. However, to completely bridge the gap from where the human race had descended since the time … Continue reading –>
