As the church began to spread—as Jesus predicted—“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NIV), new believers took up the faith and ministry of Jesus. Among these was Dorcas—also known as Tabitha—in the city of Joppa. She obviously took seriously Jesus’ particular instruction that when clothing … Continue reading –>
After Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the group of believers grew rapidly and created the early church, a new kind of community among the followers of Jesus, and initially led by His original disciples. However, this new community was not just something that they made up among themselves; rather, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-37; Matt. 25:38, Matt. 25:40; Acts 9:36; 2 Cor. 8:7-15; Romans 12:1-21; James 2:1-9. Memory Text: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27, NKJV). The verses known as the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) are among the … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Good Samaritan”, pages 497-505, and “The Least of These My Brethren”, pages 637-641, in The Desire of Ages; “A Great Gulf Fixed”, pages 260-271, “Who Is My Neighbour?” pages 376-389, in Christ’s Object Lessons. “Christ tears away the wall of partition, the self-love, the dividing prejudice of nationality, and teaches a love for all … Continue reading –>
A couple of years ago, the divorced mother of a young girl I was studying with for baptism called me. Her daughter had a piano recital that Sunday afternoon and her father was going to be a no-show, as usual. The mother shared that it would mean a lot if I could be there. I … Continue reading –>
Another occasion when Jesus was asked a question and gave an answer quite different from what might have been anticipated is found in the sermon recorded in Matthew chapters 24 and 25. The disciples came to Jesus and asked about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the time of Jesus’ return (see Matt. 24:1-3). … Continue reading –>
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19-31), Jesus contrasts the lives of two men—one rich, one desperately poor. In the absence of social welfare, community hospitals, or soup kitchens, it was a common practice for those in need, disabled, or otherwise disadvantaged, to beg outside the homes of the wealthy. It was … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 10:25-27. The lawyer who questioned Jesus offered a standard summary of the Old-Testament commands for living a life acceptable to God. How are these two commands linked? When Jesus was questioned, He often concluded His answers with an outcome quite different from what the questioner was seeking. In response to the instruction in Leviticus 19:18 … Continue reading –>
Jesus showed us how to be humble servants in His service. This is shown in Hymn 363, “Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service”. We are to “Give of Your Best to the Master”, Hymn 572 and ask “O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee”, Hymn 574. Monday’s Bible texts have us singing Hymn 316, “Live … Continue reading –>
The least of these. Maybe we should translate 25:40 something like this: “However you are treating the poor, the sick, and those who are suffering from other bad circumstances, well, that’s how you are treating the King of the universe, the God you claim to worship.” You may welcome such a comment, noting that you … Continue reading –>
