Resisting the possibility of letting our good intentions be overwhelmed by “all the trouble in the world”, many of us would like to do more to make a difference in the lives of the suffering. There are a number of attitudes and actions that can help us make positive responses to those in need. Compassion: … Continue reading –>
As was made clear in the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament writers, those who choose to live as members of the kingdom of God live by a different set of values and priorities than does the world. Read Matthew 6:25-33. What is the reassurance we are given in these verses, and how should this … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 6:25-33; James 1:5-8; James 2:15-16; Isa. 52:7; 1 John 3:16-18; Isa. 58:1-10. Memory Text: “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion” (Psalm 112:4-5, NKJV). As we have seen, the Bible is filled … Continue reading –>
TV Draws People By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission As a child in New Zealand, Coralie Schofield was warned about the potential dangers of television and cautioned to stay away. Today, she is surprised—and overjoyed—that people are flocking to Seventh-day Adventist churches across the country because of television. “It’s the most humbling experience to see. It’s … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Called to Reach a Higher Standard”, pages 309-322, in The Acts of the Apostles; “Desolation of the Earth”, pages 653-661, in The Great Controversy. “When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict of life. While … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 21:1-5, Revelation 22:1-5 and spend some time trying to imagine what life will be like as described here. Why is it difficult to imagine life without sin, death, pain, and tears? The Bible’s descriptions of our life after sin are unquestionably wonderful and glorious and no doubt barely represent what is awaiting us. Even in … Continue reading –>
Read Ecclesiastes 8:14. In what ways do you see the stark and powerful reality of what is written here? While suffering, oppression, and tragedy are hard enough to bear in their own right, the injury or insult is harder still if it appears to be meaningless or unnoticed. The possible meaninglessness of sorrow is heavier than … Continue reading –>
The Christian hope in the second coming of Jesus is not just about looking forward to a bright future. For the early Christians, the bodily resurrection of Jesus gave the promise of His return a solid reality. If He could come back from the dead—which they had witnessed for themselves—He would surely come back to … Continue reading –>
Religion has often been criticized for a tendency to draw believers away from life here and now toward some better afterlife. The criticism is that the focus on another realm becomes a form of sanctified escapism and renders the believer of less benefit to the world and to society. At times, believers have left themselves … Continue reading –>
Throughout the Bible’s story, there is a repeated call from God’s people—particularly those experiencing slavery, exile, oppression, poverty, or other injustice or tragedy—for God to intervene. The slaves in Egypt, the Israelites in Babylon, and many others called out to God to see and hear their suffering and to right these wrongs. And the Bible … Continue reading –>
