Baptized for the Dead

In a famous Jewish story a pagan came to the well known Jewish Rabbi Shammai and said he would convert to Judaism if the Rabbi could teach him everything that was in the Torah while standing on one leg. Angered Rabbi Shammai sent him away without answering his question. But when the pagan came to Rabbi Hillel he simply said: That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.” Does that sound familiar? Jesus said something similar when He said in Matthew 7:12 “do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” But while this statement is similar there is a difference. What is that difference? Jesus states His summary of the law in a positive while Hillel stated it in a negative. We call Jesus’ statement the golden rule while we call Hillel’s statement the silver rule. It is always better to do something for others than it is to avoid doing something to ...

Let Them Make Me a Sanctuary Family is important. Babies need touch, children needs parents and people need relationships. God designed us to live, laugh and love together. It was always Gods purpose to be with His people.  From 1844 Seventh-day Adventists have been preaching the doctrine of the sanctuary. Did you know that the sanctuary doctrine is the only unique doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? That may surprise you but there are others that worship on Saturday, others that believe in soul sleep, and others that believe that Jesus is coming soon. But the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the only church to teach the unique aspects of the sanctuary. Why is the sanctuary so important? Why do we place so much emphasis on the sanctuary? Turn with me in your bible to Exodus 25:8. In this passage God is speaking to Moses, God’s chosen leader for Israel. The Israelites have been delivered from Egypt, they have made their way across dry land through the Red Sea ...

In the book of Genesis Jacob the patriarch prophesied: The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; And unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Genesis 49:10 This prophecy finds its fulfillment in Jesus on the cross. Jesus says in John 12:32: 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:32 The cross is the fullest revelation of God’s love. Throughout the ages Jesus has drawn men and women, boys and girls to Himself through His death on the cross.  Today I would like to focus on that great gathering of God’s people that began when Jesus was crucified. But did you know that the bible says that the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world? Jesus has been drawing men and women from the very first moment when Adam and Eve realized that they their sins had separated them from God. The bible says in Jeremiah 31:3: The Lord hath appeared of old unto me,...

The Schoolmaster Many Christians do not understand the role of the law. They read texts like Galatians 2:16 that says: 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16 And then just a few verses later the apostle Paul says: 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. Galatians 2:19 If we are not justified by the works of the law and if we are dead to the law then what is the role of the law in the Christian’s life? Today I’d like to answer these questions with God’s word. But in order to understand the Bible we need to know how to study the Bible. The bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15: 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly di...

The bible says: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 There is always more that we can learn. We can never exhaust our study of the word of God. We will be studying the science of salvation for eternity. Ellen White says: This is the treasure that is found in the Scriptures. The Bible is God’s great lesson book, His great educator. The foundation of all true science is contained in the Bible. Every branch of knowledge may be found by searching the word of God. And above all else it contains the science of all sciences, the science of salvation. The Bible is the mine of the unsearchable riches of Christ.{COL 107.3} Today I want to take a look at the foundation stone of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Rock of our salvation. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:4-6: 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,  5 you also, ...