When He had opened the book (Luke 4:17, NKJV). The Sabbath was not only for going to church in order to worship but also to hear God’s Word. A life without His Word is not far from the trap of sin: Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against … Continue reading –>
As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16, NKJV). This is a good Adventist text. Most of us use it in evangelistic meetings or in Bible studies in order to emphasize the point that it was the practice of Jesus to keep the Sabbath. Synagogues played a crucial … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2; Luke 4:17-19, Luke 4:31-37; 2 Cor. 5:17; Luke 6:1-11; Luke 13:10-16. Memory Text: The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28, NKJV). Although Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for the … Continue reading –>
I’ve Been Waiting For A While Since the 1990s, we have been allowed some religious freedom and now have a few church buildings in China. One Adventist church is located near a large factory of an import/export business. The business owner is a friend of an Adventist church member, and the two women often talk … Continue reading –>
Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ’s burdens. We cannot follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him. If our will is not in accord with the divine requirements, we are to deny our inclinations, give … Continue reading –>
Socrates had Plato. Gamaliel had Saul. Leaders of various religions had their devout followers. The difference between discipleship in such cases and the discipleship of Jesus is that the former is based on the content of human philosophy, whereas the latter is rooted in the person and accomplishment of Jesus Himself. Thus, Christian discipleship rests … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 10:1-24. What does this account, of the sending out of the 70, teach us about the work of soul winning amid the reality of the great controversy? During His ministry, more than 12 disciples followed Jesus. When Peter addressed the believers leading to the selection of a substitute for Judas, the group consisted … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 9:1-6 and Matthew 10:5-15. What spiritual truths can we learn from the verses about how Jesus called these men? Luke describes the commissioning of the apostles as a three-step process. First, Jesus called them together (Luke 9:1). The word call or calling is as vital to Christian mission as it is to Christian … Continue reading –>
Discipleship is not self-made. It is a result of responding to the call of Jesus. Luke mentions that Jesus has already called Peter, Andrew, John, and James (Luke 5:11, Matthew 4:18-22) and Levi Matthew, the tax collector (Luke 5:27-32). Now the writer places the selection of the Twelve in a strategic location in his narrative: immediately … Continue reading –>
Simon and Andrew had toiled all night. Seasoned fishermen, they knew the art of fishing, and they knew when to quit. Nightlong work yielded nothing. In the midst of their disappointment came an unsolicited command: Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch (Luke 5:4, NKJV). Simon’s response was one … Continue reading –>
