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Do We Really Want Justice?
Do We Really Want Justice?

Do We Really Want Justice?

In "God's Word for Today", Steve Oliver writes:

Think back to when your children were small — or, for that matter, not so small. Did you ever hear, “That's not fair!”? What was the real problem that the child was protesting? Usually, it did not have anything to do with real fairness or justice. Rather, the problem was that the child didn't get what he or she wanted. Like children, adults tend to think of justice as “I get what I want” rather than what I actually deserve, but sometimes justice dictates that I get precisely what I do not want. Since God is just, He will always act in a just way, and justice includes giving punishment when it is deserved. In fact, when Christ took our sins, He had to endure the full weight of punishment for them.

Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 40.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-16T09:00:00+00:00July 16th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Justice|0 Comments

When the Dam of God's Love Bursts
When the Dam of God's Love Bursts

When the Dam of God's Love Bursts

In "Biblical Perspective" R.E. Trotter writes:

Someone has said that God's wrath is God's love dammed up by man's disobedience, until finally the dam bursts, and it is poured out on the disobedient in righteous judgment. For myriads of people, the dam will burst after Jesus returns, and the tribulation will be a dreadful expression of His wrath and fury.

Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 42.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-15T09:00:00+00:00July 15th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Judgment|0 Comments

What lessons should we learn from the vision of martyrs and God's judgment in Revelation?
What lessons should we learn from the vision of martyrs and God's judgment in Revelation?

What lessons should we learn from the vision of martyrs and God's judgment in Revelation?

What lessons should we learn from the vision of martyrs and God's judgment in Revelation? In "Doctrinal Discussion" Don Englund suggests these conclusions:

What can this vast crowd of those “slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” (Rev. 6:9) teach us? What can we learn from the outpouring of God's vengeance on a world that has rejected Him?
First, the martyrs teach us that the thing that matters most in life is faithfulness to God. These martyrs had not only been faithful to God but also to other human beings whom they had loved enough to testify to them of God's truth. … We may be repaid for our witness with death — and this is what happened to the souls John saw at the altar — but our love for others will impel us to speak up for the gospel. The martyrs in heaven are not taking care of the vengeance, but they are calling on God to handle it. …
Second, this passage teaches us that there will be an end of human history, and our Sovereign Lord will preside over this dramatic alteration of all things as we know them now. Just as the gospel is a leveler of men, the judgments at the end of the age will also be a leveler of mankind. Fake sources of security like money, power, nationality, influence, or freedom will carry no weight before God's judgment.

Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, pages 42-43.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-14T09:00:00+00:00July 14th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Judgment|0 Comments

God’s Judgment on Irreverence
God’s Judgment on Irreverence

“And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed” (Numbers 12:9)
Last Christmas, my manger scene took center stage on top of my piano. Joseph is about 10 inches tall and carries a lamp and staff. The baby rests in a manger of hay, while a lamb and a donkey lie nearby. Everyone is overshadowed by a watching angel. Mary kneels, hands crossed over her heart, gazing on her baby. But what always stands out to me is that the Mary depicted in this scene is blonde.
You do not have to look long in our world to see that mankind in his natural, sinful state is prejudiced. We see the world from one viewpoint (ours), which of course must be the best. Now, perhaps the artist who created my manger scene set was simply uninformed, since it isn’t likely that a Jewish girl was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but it still illustrates my point.
It’s even worse to find prejudice among God’s people. I have to wonder how long Miriam and Aaron had allowed their racism against Moses’ Cushite wife to fester until finally it displayed itself in an ugly show of disrespect.
But the same God who created an unfathomable amount of variety in plants and animals in our world, also loves the variety and diversity of humanity. He heard Miriam and Aaron’s complaints spoken out of prejudice against one of his own and judged them. (Ashlee Englund)
Where can prejudice be found in your life?
This devotional is the Tuesday, July 12, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-13T09:00:00+00:00July 13th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Prejudice|0 Comments

Project a positive, caring atmosphere.

When you teach Sunday school, what kind of attitude do you project? Such a question may seem to suggest that we should act hypocritically, but that is not the intention. Rather, this question is meant to recognize that we all have a "public" face and a "private" face.
With this understood, what kind of public face do you show? Is it all business? Do you demonstrate such a great passion for presenting the lesson material that you do not show a concern for people? Obviously, both are important. As the teacher, you give an example to your students of being serious about interpreting and applying God's Word. But if you are so focused on the text that you don't take time for the people, you will miss out on a great opportunity for ministry. It should also be noted that some may take caring for people to an extreme with the result being little or no study of God's Word during the class time.
Is your attitude positive or negative? One preacher was once asked by his wife why he was so unhappy when he was preaching. The preacher didn't know what she was talking about - he wasn't unhappy or mad about anything. But he did not have a pleasant smile on his face, so it appeared to his congregation as if he was upset about something.
Does your class know you care? How do they know this?

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-12T09:00:00+00:00July 12th, 2016|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: Caring|0 Comments

The Judgments of God

Lesson 7 - July 17, 2016
Focus Text: Revelation 6:8-17
Central Truth: God will one day judge those who persist in wickedness.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list elements of God's coming judgment.
Lesson Outline:

The Severity of God's Judgment (Revelation 6:1-8)
The Justice of God's Judgment (Revelation 6:9-11)
The Fear of God's Judgment (Revelation 6:12-17)

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-11T09:00:00+00:00July 11th, 2016|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: Judgment|0 Comments

Prayer – Lesson 6, Our Worthy Redeemer

Heavenly Father, as our classes study this lesson today, help us to understand the privilege we have in worshipping You. Give us creative ideas about how to express their love to You. Most of all, help us to actively worship You day by day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-10T08:00:00+00:00July 10th, 2016|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: prayer|0 Comments

Why have we lost the sense of worship?
Why have we lost the sense of worship?

Why have we lost the sense of worship?

In "Doctrinal Discussion" Don Englund answers this question, at least in part, with the following thought:

Decades ago, the Christian writer G. K. Chesterton observed that our world does not lack wonders, but a sense of wonder. Our generation has witnessed the destruction of human lives on a scale unimaginable a century ago. We have learned to view social and technological change as routine. And the culture has met a great deal of this phenomena of social upheaval and change with cynicism. The deadly infection eats away at our built-in, God-given capacity to wonder in childlike delight and amazement, and most serious of all, it corrodes our channels of worship. Like John, we must raise our eyes higher than the unworkable solutions of this world!

Discussion: With this thought in mind, how can we regain a worshipful spirit?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 37.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-09T09:00:00+00:00July 9th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: worship|0 Comments

What happens when Christians take salvation for granted?

In "God's Word for Today" Steve Oliver writes:

Especially if we have been in church our entire lives and have heard the message of salvation repeatedly, it is easy to take salvation for granted. Being saved can just become a “normal” part of life, and we may lose the freshness of the experience. We may also forget the incredible cost of salvation and perhaps never realize the vital part that redemption plays in God's plan for world history. One of the dangers of this complacency is that we fail to value our salvation sufficiently, so sin can become “no big deal.” We also forget that redemption proves beyond any doubt God's love for us, the central place that the atonement holds in His plan, and the lengths to which He is willing to go to provide for our salvation.

Discussion: How have you seen such complacency affect the spirituality of Christians?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 33.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-08T09:00:00+00:00July 8th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: salvation|0 Comments

Giving Adoration to the Lamb
Giving Adoration to the Lamb

Giving Adoration to the Lamb

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (v. 12).
Here and now, even before we arrive at that moment, we are overwhelmed. This Lamb is worthy! Through the corridors of time humanity has worshipped at the feet of the unworthy. And, as God warns, “they followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves” (Jeremiah 2:5).
Our Redeemer is worthy! He humbly condescended to become one of us, to be our Kinsman. He alone was sinless and thus qualified as the spotless, innocent Lamb of God. He paid the price no one else could pay; He satisfied the just demands of the holy God and rose triumphant over mankind’s terrifying enemies - sin, death and hell. He is worthy!
Did you notice the “loud voice”? It actually means shouted! Could it be that this angel will begin in clear, dignified, resonant tones, but in the awesome presence of our mighty and glorious Redeemer he is captured and conquered by wonder and his angelic voice will crescendo in uncontrollable adoration, “Worthy is the Lamb…!!!”

For all eternity, we will be endlessly overwhelmed and worship with unashamed abandon our worthy Redeemer.
Don’t you think we should begin such worship now? (Phillip Gumbs)

This devotional is the Sunday, July 10, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-07-07T09:00:00+00:00July 7th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Lamb|0 Comments

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