Paul is practical in his inspired words to the Ephesians. The unity that exists between Jews and Gentiles, between people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, is not a myth or simply a theoretical construct; it is a reality that demands us “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph. 4:1, NKJV). … Continue reading –>
Some of the deepest divisions among people are caused by differences of race, ethnicity, and religion. In many societies, identity cards indicate the ethnicity or religion one belongs to, and these distinctions often are connected with privileges or restrictions that people have to live with on a daily basis. When wars or conflicts arise, these … Continue reading –>
Read Ephesians 1:3-14. What, according to Paul here, have we been given in Christ? The followers of Jesus have much to praise God for. In Christ, God has chosen to adopt us as sons and daughters and to represent Him to the world. Paul uses many images to describe our new relationship to God in Christ. … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Eph. 1:3-14; Gal. 4:7; Eph. 2:11-22; Eph. 4:1-6, Eph. 4:11; Matt. 20:25-28; Eph. 5:15-6:9. Memory Text: “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “God’s Law Immutable”, pages 443-446, in The Great Controversy. Read the articles “Denominations, Relations to Other”, pages 763, 764, and “Roman Catholic Church”, p. 1110, in The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia. “Although the Seventh-day Adventist church is a worldwide church with many local churches, Adventists do not claim to be Christ’s universal church. The universal church … Continue reading –>
By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission Frank Cantrill, a retired Seventh-day Adventist pastor in Australia, was shocked when doctors diagnosed him with skin cancer. But an even bigger surprise came two weeks later when a gaping hole in his head healed in what stunned doctors called a miracle. Frank was diagnosed with stage-four melanoma, a kind … Continue reading –>
In John 17:3, Jesus said that eternal life is to know God. Read 1 John 2:3-6. What does it mean to know God? How do we demonstrate our knowledge of God in our daily lives? Generally, while people in society today wish to call themselves law-abiding citizens, these same people often will downplay the biblical obligation to … Continue reading –>
Read Mark 9:38-41 and John 10:16. What does Jesus’ response to the apostle John teach us about exclusivism and quick judgments about who is a true follower of Jesus? Seventh-day Adventists have tended to understand Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-26 as directly applying to the unity of their church denomination. We must be united as a church to … Continue reading –>
After Jesus prayed for His disciples, He broadened His prayer to include “those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20, NKJV). Read John 17:20-26. What was Jesus’ greatest wish for those who would later believe in the Gospel message? Why is it so important that this prayer be fulfilled? As the Father and Son … Continue reading –>
Read John 17:9-19. What is Jesus praying specifically about in regard to His disciples? Jesus prays next for His disciples, who are in grave danger of losing their faith in Him in the days ahead, when He, Jesus, will no longer be with them in the flesh. Thus, He commits them to the care of His … Continue reading –>
