As we have already seen, the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:12, however deep, do reveal the fact that the kingdom of God isn’t going to be established without a struggle, or without a fight. That fight, we understand, is the great controversy, and it has been and still is raging. It will until the … Continue reading –>
None greater than John the Baptist. What is the “unseen reality” that has a great impact on our lives? Why is there a screen hiding our view from the controversy between Christ and Satan?Or is there such a screen? Do we need to understand all the details of the Plan of Salvation before we can understand … Continue reading –>
Whatever the ultimate meaning of Matthew 11:12, as we saw yesterday, it does help to reveal the reality of the great controversy. It depicts a struggle, a battle and—as we know from other Bible texts—this battle is, at the core, the one between Christ and Satan. Who do the following texts tell us about in … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: The great controversy has cosmic consequences, but is also a battle for each human mind and heart. Our destiny rests on whose side we are on. The Seen and Unseen War – April 23 – 29, 2016 1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 11:11,12. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what … Continue reading –>
Bible students through the ages have struggled with Matthew 11:12 because the words that describe the kingdom and the people here can be used in either a positive or negative sense. The Greek verb basmati can mean either “forcefully advancing” or “suffering violence.” And the Greek word biastes can mean “forceful or eager men” or … Continue reading –>
Scripture is the Word of God, and in it the plan of salvation is made clear. Yet, some texts can be difficult to understand. This, though, should not be surprising. After all, in every aspect of natural life we find things hard to understand. How much more so will it be with parts of the … Continue reading –>
Not long after starting to write for Sabbath School Net just over four years ago, I was asked to help moderate comments on the blog posts. This has been an eye-opening experience for me. With comments from all parts of the world, I have encountered ideas from Scripture that I never would have thought of myself or heard by just … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 11:11-12; Rev. 5:5; Matt. 12:25-29; Isa. 27:1; Matt. 11:1-12; Heb. 2:14. Memory Text:“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12, NKJV). Each day we make important choices about lifestyle, relationships, careers, priorities, entertainment, … Continue reading –>
The Germans have a saying, “Einmal ist keinmal.” It means, literally, “One time is no time.” It’s an idiomatic expression for the idea that if something happens only once, then it doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter. If it happens only once, it might as well never have happened at all. Whether you agree or not, … Continue reading –>
This week, instead of my normal article based on a theme of the lesson, I thought I would give you a look into the teacher side of preparation. As some of you know I have a ministry that provides training to Sabbath school leaders and adult class teachers throughout our denomination. This coming Sabbath I … Continue reading –>
