Jesus, like Paul, studied the Old Testament and drew the conclusion that the Messiah would “have to suffer these things and then enter his glory” (Luke 24:26, NIV). The “have to” of Luke 24:26 translates the same word as Acts 17:3 (NIV),where Paul says the Messiah “had to suffer.” For Jesus and Paul, the priority … Continue reading –>
Since ancient times, readers of the Old Testament have noticed a variety of perspectives in the prophecies pointing toward the Messiah. Most Jews and early Christians identified two major strands in the Messianic prophecies. On the one hand, there were texts that pointed toward a royal Messiah: a conquering king who would bring justice to … Continue reading –>
What does Acts 17:1-3 tell us about the where, the when, and the how of Paul’s preaching strategy in Thessalonica? Although 1 Thessalonians was among Paul’s earliest letters, both his theology and missionary strategy were well developed by the time he arrived in Thessalonica. The first step in Paul’s missionary strategy was to attend the … Continue reading –>
Read Acts 16:9-40. According to the passage, why did the Philippians react so negatively to the gospel? What important principle can we find in their reaction that we always need to be wary of ourselves? In what other ways can this principle be made manifest, even in the lives of professed Christians? The gospel is … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 16:9-40; Acts 17:1-4,12; Jer. 23:1-6; Isa. 9:1-7; Isaiah 53:1-12; Rom. 1:16. Memory Text: “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who … Continue reading –>
Planning to Continue and Grow Your Ministry Everyone involved in a witnessing and evangelism ministry should give attention to how he or she can make it a continuing ministry rather than a once-off event. There are many things we can do to ensure this. We will review a few of the vital ones. Be comfortable … Continue reading –>
Contents | Email Discussion Lists | Ellen White and Bible References When the Lord Descends from Heaven Irish author Samuel Beckett wrote a drama, Waiting for Godot, about two homeless men waiting on the side of the road for someone named Godot who was supposed to come and save them from the meaninglessness of life. … Continue reading –>
My family is Buddhist, the traditional religion of Mongolia. I often visited the Buddhist temple to pray and even learned to chant some Buddhist prayers. I planned to become a Buddhist nun when I finished college. Then my younger sister, Mungu, began attending the Adventist church. I told Mungu that her religion was foolish, but … Continue reading –>
Have you ever noticed how people often lament the fact that members slip out “the back door”? They even state firmly that the church’s back door must be closed but fail to tell us how to close the door or even the location of the door. Some growing churches may think that their back door … Continue reading –>
Backslider is a word we wish did not exist in the Christian vocabulary. It is a fact, however, that many people slide away from church and from a saving relationship with the Lord. Although people do, at times, leave us over doctrine, most of the time they leave over other things, usually personal disputes and … Continue reading –>
