Read Luke 2:21-28, Mark 6:2-4, and Leviticus 12:8. What do these verses tell us about the economic class into which Jesus was born? How would that class have influenced His ministry? Joseph and Mary’s purification offering clearly indicated their economically poor background. This tradition sprang from the Mosaic legislation recorded in Leviticus 12:8, and it … Continue reading –>
I was sitting at a funeral dinner with the grown children of a dear woman whose service I had just conducted. One of her sons was talking about adding a patio to the back of his house. Her daughter was talking about doing some work on her home. I thought to myself, “This mother has … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 2:21-28; Matt. 15:32-39; Matt. 16:13-17; Luke 12:6-7; 13:1-5; James 2:1-9. Memory Text: Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I … Continue reading –>
I remember Lizzie amazing me with her ability to do most of what I could do as well as I could or better. She could plant, cultivate and harvest a garden, she could cook and bake bread, she could sew – all without a right arm. But if Jesus had offered to give her a right … Continue reading –>
Mama Nerea lay on her thin mattress in her humble home in western Kenya. Her family suspected that her suffering was the result of witchcdraft, a curse that someone had put on her. They visited several witchdoctors, seeking to have the curse removed, but Mama Nerea continued to languish. The illness had left her unable … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Read Luke 18:35-43; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 6:1-2; Mark 6:5-7, Mark 6:54-56; Mark 7:31-37; Mark 8:22-26; Matthew 8:1-19; Matt 12:15-23. Ellen G. White, Our Example, pp. 17-21, and Healing of the Soul, pp. 73-85, in The Ministry of Healing; The Divine Plan in the Medical Missionary Work, pp. 25-29, in Medical Ministry. The … Continue reading –>
[Thought questions for Discipling the Sick January 29, 2014] 1. Health and healing. How important was the healing ministry in earthly Jesus’ life? We’re told that Jesus spent more time healing than preaching. Was that a wise distribution of His power and love? Why? Should we as His followers and friends, spend more effort than … Continue reading –>
Review Acts 3:1-19; Acts 5:12-16; Acts 9:36-42; Acts 20:7-10; 1 Corinthians 12:7-9, 1 Cor. 28-31; and James 5:13-16. How should modern Christians evaluate the importance of healing ministry to the New Testament church? First-century disciples witnessed firsthand Christ’s promise of seeing greater things than these fulfilled (John 1:50, compare John 5:20, John 14:12). Miraculous healings … Continue reading –>
In a world where death always has the final word, at least for now, what great hope is found in these verses? Luke 7:11-17, Mark 5:21-43, John 11:37-44. Politicians, entertainers, and athletes must necessarily offer something to generate a following. Politicians utilize hypnotic rhetoric and incredible promises. Entertainers use their abilities to generate emotion and … Continue reading –>
He had only one hope. No other options. No other solutions. He had used every resource at his disposal and everything that concerned family members and friends could do had been done. Now dangling in a bed let down through the roof of Peter’s house, he was at his moment of truth. The familiar story … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : There is an intimate correlation among physical, emotional, and spiritual health. We need to minister to the total person. [Lesson plan for Discipling the Sick January 27, 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read John 9:1-3. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text … Continue reading –>
Through physical healing and mental restoration, Jesus made disciples. Often Christ’s patients suffered both mental and physical diseases. Physical restoration itself was never the final objective. The ultimate goal was always discipleship. Healing could provide twenty, fifty, perhaps seventy-five additional quality years. Discipleship offered eternal life with Christ. In Luke 8:26-39, the demon-possessed man from … Continue reading –>
