“ ‘You are the salt of the earth’ ” (Matthew 5:13, NIV). In this passage, Jesus is calling His followers to be “salt,” which is a transforming agent. The church is a “saltshaker,” which contains the “salt of the earth.” With what or whom should we, this “salt,” mix? Only with ourselves, or with ingredients … Continue reading –>
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” (Luke 10:27). Read Luke 10:25-37. What message is given here to us in regard to the whole question of helping those in need? The … Continue reading –>
Jesus, the young rabbi from Nazareth, had become very popular in the region of Galilee (Luke 4:15). When He spoke, “the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29, NKJV). One Sabbath, when handed the scroll of Isaiah, Jesus read the first … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 4:16-19, Luke 10:25-37, Matt. 5:13, Isa. 2:8, John 4:35-38, Matt. 13:3-9. Memory Text: “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23, NKJV). Robert Louis Stevenson, best … Continue reading –>
Read Jeremiah 22:1-16; Ezekiel 16:49; Zechariah 7:9-10. Read Ellen G. White Comments, pp. 1165, 1166, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4; “God’s Design in Our Sanitariums,” pp. 227, 228, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Justice & Mercy in the Old Testament – Part 2” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the … Continue reading –>
Read Micah 6:1-16. What is the Lord speaking out against here? Micah joins the other Old Testament prophets who emphasize that external forms of religion that lack a humble and intentional manifestation of justice and mercy are never acceptable to a just and merciful God. What is the crucial message of Micah 6:8? “True religion … Continue reading –>
The Old Testament is filled with the idea that those who have been blessed materially and spiritually will reach out to those who have not. Read Isaiah 61:1-11. What is God saying to His people here, and how can we apply what’s said here to ourselves and to our calling before the Lord? See also … Continue reading –>
“Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish . . .; where the river flows everything will live” (Ezek. 47:9, NIV). Ezekiel’s prophecy illustrates that where the river that comes from God’s church flows, there is life. Ezekiel 47:10 adds to the amazement of it all. … Continue reading –>
Read Ezekiel 47:1-8. What’s going on with the temple that Ezekiel saw in vision? The temple appears to have sprung a leak. You may wonder, did a pipe break, or what? In this case, the leak was a good thing. This water leaking out of the temple was going “toward the east.” East of Jerusalem … Continue reading –>
