Due to the travel restrictions and an ongoing quarantine policy in Israel, we regret to announce that our Israel Dig and Tour is cancelled for the 2020 summer. We look forward to resuming the program again in the summer of 2021
Pasaje Destacado: Apocalipsis 1:8; Colosenses 1:15-16; Salmos 103:19; Hebreos 1:1–3; Josué 10:11–14; 2 Reyes 20:10–11; Mateo 14:25–33; Marcos 4:37–41; Apocalipsis 21:7; 2 Corintios 6:18; 1 Juan 3:1–3.
Los reinos vegetal, animal y humano son clasificaciones de seres vivos en nuestro mundo material. El mundo espiritual también tiene seres vivos, y el reino angélico tiene diferentes clasificaciones de ángeles. Sin embargo, hay un Reino por encima de todos los demás, sea material o espiritual: El Reino de Dios. Dios está en un nivel de existencia que es difícil de entender para los humanos. Dios tiene vida inherente y es eterno. Dios fue, es y siempre será. Dios es el Creador de todas las cosas, sean espirituales o materiales, por lo tanto, Dios está por encima de todas las cosas. Como Dios creó y controla todas las cosas, no está limitado ni por las leyes físicas, ni por el tiempo, ni por el espacio.
Es por eso que Dios pudo evitar que el Sol se ocultara para Josué, y pudo devolver el Sol diez grados para Ezequías. También, por eso fue que Jesucristo pudo caminar sobre el agua y calmar el mar rugiente. La buena noticia es que el Reino de Dios es una familia, y todo ser humano que haya existido, tiene el potencial de ser miembro la familia de Dios. ¡Naciste para ser parte de la familia de Dios!
Discusión:
Memorizar y revisar:
Colosenses 1:16-17
“Porque en él fueron creadas todas las cosas, las que hay en los cielos y las que hay en la tierra, visibles e invisibles; sean tronos, sean dominios, sean principados, sean potestades; todo fue creado por medio de él y para él. Y él es antes de todas las cosas, y todas las cosas en él subsisten”.
Pasaje Destacado: Juan 1:1–3; Génesis 1:26–27; Juan 4:24; Juan 3:16; Salmos 90:2; Colosenses 1:16-17; Isaías 46:9-10; 1Juan 4: 8
Es muy importante entender quién y qué es Dios. Podemos saber esto solo si Dios decide revelárnoslo, y lo ha hecho, por medio de la Biblia. ¿Cómo era cuando no existía nada físico? En esa era prehistórica, había dos seres espirituales eternos, poderosos, llamados Dios y el Verbo. Juntos, Dios y el Verbo planearon y diseñaron todo lo visible y lo invisible: Las huestes angélicas, las estrellas y los planetas, las plantas, los animales, y el hombre. El Verbo, fue quien se convirtió en Jesucristo, y Dios creó todas las cosas por medio de Él. Dios no es una “fuerza” mágica. No, ¡Dios es real! Él tiene forma y figura. Podemos saber cómo es Dios porque nos hizo a su imagen y semejanza. Dios es totalmente sabio, todo lo conoce, es todopoderoso y muy amoroso. Por su Espíritu, Él puede ver lo que está ocurriendo ¡en todas partes! Pero si queremos saber quién es realmente Dios, debemos conocer Su carácter
Dios es bueno, misericordioso, amoroso y lleno de compasión. Todo lo que Dios hace está motivado por el amor. Dios es amor.
Discusión:
Memorizar y revisar:
Ayude a sus hijos a memorizar el siguiente versículo:
Isaías 46:9–10 “Acordaos de las cosas pasadas desde los tiempos antiguos; porque yo soy Dios, y no hay otro Dios, y nada hay semejante a mí, que anuncio lo por venir desde el principio, y desde la antigüedad lo que aún no era hecho; que digo: Mi consejo permanecerá, y haré todo lo que quiero”.
Pasaje Destacado: Génesis 1:1; Juan 1:1–3; Job 38:4–7 [“hijos de Dios” se refiere aquí a los ángeles]; Hebreos 1:10; Deuteronomio 10:14.
La semana de la creación (en realidad, como veremos en una lección posterior, debe llamarse la semana de la “recreación”), es una importante enseñanza de la Biblia y de la Iglesia de Dios. Ahora bien, antes de esta semana de la recreación registrada en el primer capítulo del Génesis, hubo un momento en que solo existía Dios, dos seres a quienes ahora conocemos como Dios el Padre y el Verbo, quien posteriormente se hizo carne y es llamado Jesucristo. Dios se propuso expandir su familia. Primero creó seres espirituales que conocemos como los ángeles. Después, Dios comenzó a crear el universo físico. ¡La habilidad creativa de Dios es realmente asombrosa!
Todo el universo, todo lo visible y lo invisible, fue creado para los futuros hijos e hijas de Dios Todopoderoso.
Discusión:
Memorizar y revisar:
Ayude a sus hijos a memorizar los días de la semana de la creación:
Día 1 – Dios separa la luz de las tinieblas.
Día 2 – El cielo y las nubes son separados de las aguas de abajo.
Dia 3 – La Tierra seca es separada de los mares. Las plantas son creadas.
Día 4 – El Sol, la Luna y las estrellas son designados para iluminar la Tierra, separar el día de la noche y para señalar las estaciones.
Día 5 – Creación de las aves y los peces.
Día 6 – Creación de los animales terrestres y el hombre.
Día 7 – Dios creó el sábado descansando.
Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time: 6 min.
Christians are familiar with His written revelation called the Holy Bible. But what many do not realize is that long before a written record was provided for His people, God revealed Himself another way. This one has been available to all people, believers or non-believers alike no matter what language they speak. Throughout the centuries, avid Bible students have referred to these as “God’s Two Books.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible on Psalm 19 explains: “There are two excellent books which the great God has published for the instruction and edification of the children of men; this psalm treats of them both, and recommends them both to our diligent study. I. The book of the creatures, in which we may easily read the power and godhead of the Creator (Psalm 19:1-6). II. The book of the scriptures, which makes known to us the will of God concerning our duty. He shows the excellency and usefulness of that book (Psalm 19:7-11) and then teaches us how to improve it [our duty] (Psalm 19:12-14).” Both of these books reveal the glory of God!
Psalm 19 provides us a description of both of these revelations of God. The first one is creation itself, covered in Psalm 19:1-6. God has provided a theology through the natural world. By definition, theology is the study of God. Theologians have referred to this as “general revelation,” “natural revelation” or “natural theology.” The second revelation is described in Psalm 19:7-14, commonly called “special revelation,” “written revelation” or “supernatural theology.” All believers want to know more about the God they serve. They need to be diligent Bible students. However, they may be missing out on an entire second revelation because of a misunderstanding that there is today a war between science and religion. There is no such war between true science and biblical religion. God is the greatest scientist. Many famous human scientists have been dedicated Bible students such as Louis Pasteur, Isaac Newton, Johann Kepler, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, and Francis Bacon (The Henry Morris Study Bible, Appendix 7). God’s word holds us accountable for knowing God through what he has created. Notice Romans 1:19-20 (KJV throughout): “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, many people worldwide have been sheltering at home or are quarantined under orders from civic officials. A report from a recent newsletter from the NPR radio program, Living On Earth, stated that “Americans spend more time inside than some whales spend time underwater. In many ways, we are an indoor species.” This study by Joe Allen, who is Director of the Healthy Buildings Program and Assistant Professor at Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health stated that “By the time we reach 80 years old, we will have spent 72 years of our lives indoors. However, these homes, offices, schools, and hospitals often lack fresh air and have an outsized impact on our wellbeing, health, creativity, and focus.”
After several weeks of this seclusion, many are now experiencing cabin fever with detrimental psychological effects. One of the most often recommended remedies from mental health experts has been to get outdoors, even onto one’s property or (if with safe distancing) to a local park. Indoors we are surrounded by things that humans have made. But outdoors, we are surrounded by what the Creator has made, much of which we often take for granted. Go outside and notice the blue sky, white clouds, and the various flora and fauna of our world. On a clear night, admire the astral bodies – even through common light pollution in many urban areas. Allow your mind to reflect on the biggest questions of life: Who are we?, How did we get here?, Where are we going?, What is wrong with the world?, and How may it be redeemed? By doing so, we free our minds even temporarily from our constant mundane concerns and pause to admire all that God has made for us to inherit once His redemption plan culminates.
Psalm 19:7-9 describes an even greater revelation: God’s sacred word contained in the Holy Bible. In these few verses, God describes His word with six titles, six attributes, and six effects. As beautiful as are the manifestations of God’s glory seen in the heavens, still more beautiful and more magnificent is God’s sacred word. These descriptions deserve our closer, personal study as we approach Pentecost, which commemorates God’s giving His law (Exodus 20) and His Holy Spirit (Acts 2.) Putting these into graphic form would look like this:
| Titles for God’s Word | Attributes of God’s Word | Effects of God’s Word |
| law (Torah Hebrew word often translated “law” but more fully referring to “instruction,” “teaching,” or “doctrine”) | perfect | converting the soul |
| testimony | sure | making wise the simple |
| statutes | right | rejoicing the heart |
| commandment | pure | enlightening the eyes |
| fear | clean | enduring forever |
| judgments | true | righteous altogether |
Psalm 19:11-14 reach into our innermost beings to challenge us to deal with known and unknown sins. It assures us that keeping God’s word provides a great reward (v. 11). Then v. 12 asks God to cleanse us from secret faults – things we may try to hide from God or even sins of which we are yet unaware. The spiritual lessons of the Days of Unleavened Bread challenge us to continue this cleansing process. We need God to show us where we are yet falling short of his grace (Romans 3:23). Then in v. 13 we consider the extremely dangerous presumptuous sins – sins that people commit deliberately. Only God can thoroughly cleanse us of secret faults and keep us from presumptuous sins (vv. 12-13). Living by God’s Two Books then enables us to pray sincerely, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14).”
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time: 5 min.
Throughout the centuries, people have admired the self-sacrificing widow who gave all she had to God. However, you may have wondered: “Why did she have only two mites to give?” There is a backstory that could explain why she was so destitute. This story has a piercing message for religious leaders.
The Temple treasury was in the court of the women in Jesus’ day. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains: “In that court there were fixed a number of places or coffers, made with a large open mouth in the shape of a trumpet, for the purpose of receiving the offerings of the people; and the money thus contributed was devoted to the service of the temple – to incense, sacrifices, etc.” Luke 21:4 records that this widow contributed all she had: two mites (Greek lepta). A mite (lepton) denoted a small coin of brass, the smallest in use among the Jews. In today’s US currency, a mite is estimated at about 1/8th of a cent! Editor J.R. Dummelow in A Commentary on the Holy Bible explains why she gave both instead of only one: “The widow offered two, because the rabbis forbade a single lepton to be placed in the almschest.”
The account of the destitute widow is found in two of our four gospels (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). Many have read these verses and understood the primary lesson being the widow’s sacrificial generosity. However, there is a background to this story that explains the widow’s extreme poverty (penury Luke 21:4). That background is also given in two of the four gospels (Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47). In each case, Jesus rebuked the scribes; however, notice in particular the words that they “devour widows’ houses.” Bullinger in his Companion Bible explained, “Being occupied in making wills and conveyances of property, they abused their office.” Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible added: “This they did under pretence of counseling them in the knowledge of the law and in the management of their estates. They took advantage of their ignorance and their unprotected state, and either extorted large sums for their counsel, or perverted the property to their own use.”
Another abuse is explained in Word Pictures in the New Testament by A.T. Robertson, “They inveigled widows into giving their homes to the temple and took it for themselves.” Vincent’s Word Studies goes even further, “People often left their whole fortune to the temple, and a good deal of the temple-money went, in the end, to the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes were universally employed in making wills and conveyances of property. They may have abused their influence with widows.” The Pulpit Commentary by Exell explained the scribes’ influence over women: “Josephus specially alludes to the influence which certain of the Pharisees had acquired over women as directors of the conscience.”
David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary explained the widows’ poverty: “In that day, a Jewish teacher could not be paid for teaching – but he could receive gifts. Apparently, many scribes used flattery and manipulation to get big gifts from those who could least afford to give them – such as widows.” The scribes were highly respected in their society whether they deserved it or not. Jesus explained that at least some were less than honorable in their teachings that encouraged people to financially support them generously. Guzik continues: “The Jews of Jesus’ day taught that teachers were to be respected almost as God; they said that they deserved more honor and respect than any other people in life did. They taught that the greatest act someone could do is give money to a teacher. Of course, it was the teachers themselves who taught this!”
Jesus commended this widow for giving more in proportion to the treasury than all the wealthier donors who gave of their abundance (literally, “superabundance”). According to the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, “These rich men do not seem to have been observing the injunctions both sacred and Talmudic to give secretly, Mat. 6:4; Mat. 6:18.” By contrast, Jesus warned in His Sermon on the Mount against a loud, public display of one’s generosity: “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward (Matthew 6:2).” Jesus’ words “do not sound a trumpet before thee” are explained by The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary: “The expression is to be taken figuratively for blazoning it, Hence, our expression to ‘trumpet.'” These religious hypocrites did all they could to create an ostentatious display when they contributed to the treasury.
No wonder Jesus denounced such hypocrites. Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible declared, “If there is any sin of special enormity, it is that of taking advantage of the circumstances of the poor, the needy, and the helpless, to wrong them out of the pittance on which they depend for the support of their families; and as God is the friend of the widow and the fatherless, it may be expected that such will be visited with heavy condemnation.” These sobering words warn every religious leader against uncaring fund-raising from impoverished donors, especially if the leader’s income depends on it. We all will be wise to remember these words of the Psalms, “Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation (Psalm 68:4-5).”
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
Author: Thomas White | Editorial Staff, Living Church of God
Commitment is dangerous—just ask anyone who ever shelled out cash for tattoo removal. The Scriptures actually warn against throwing promises around—even ones with the purest intentions—because we humans are neither omnipotent nor omniscient, and might very well realize later that a commitment we made was unnecessary, foolish, or even sinful (Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12).
A poorly-placed commitment can indeed create a nightmare of consequences, and because they recognize that, most people are understandably terrified of commitment in general. “If I commit,” they think, “I might regret it.”
Mr. Gerald Weston’s final Assembly for Living Education’s 2019-2020 year was focused upon the need to remain committed to God and His way of life. And because of the veil they’re under, most in the world find that entire concept absolutely horrifying. “Tying yourself down to a religion for life?! You’re going to regret that.”
To them, we’re binding ourselves to a restrictive way of living that keeps us from variety. Because of the commitment we’ve made, we can’t… insert one of a thousand things here. We can’t try all the foods they try. We can’t see all the movies they see. We can’t do all the things they do with all the people they do them with. We can’t, we can’t, we can’t.
And again—they’re not wrong. There’s a lot that a servant of God can’t. But what the world doesn’t see, what it’s simply not able to see, is the vast amount of things we can.
We can talk daily to Someone who is genuinely and wholeheartedly listening to us. We can read His heartfelt, wise responses to what we tell Him. We can take a day, every single week, to cast our usual burdens completely aside. We can feel the gratitude and satisfaction that come from improving ourselves with our Coach’s help. We can sincerely ask forgiveness and know that we’ll receive it.
We can have a wonderful relationship with our Father—no matter who our parents are. We can marry without the looming possibility of divorce hanging over us. We can live without puzzling over what morality is—we can know it, and know that we know it. We can feel the love of Someone who would literally rather die than live without us. We can have unshakeable confidence that death is not the end, but just a pause. We can look forward to one day being far, far beyond human.
And that’s not even a thousandth of what we can because of our commitment to the only One who deserves commitment. Commitment to the God of the Scriptures will never turn out to be a bad idea in hindsight. We’ll never find ourselves outgrowing Him, never discover fine print that He tried to hide from us, and never be burdened with the realization that it would have been better to commit to some other way of life. We’ll all make many stupid decisions as the days and years pass, but if we’re doing our best to sincerely follow Him, we will never, ever look back and say, “I really shouldn’t have tied myself down to God.” Those in the world don’t think we have the abundant life, but that’s only because they confuse “abundant” for “unhinged.” Yes, there’s a lot a servant of God can’t do—but none of it’s worth doing. If we’ve committed to Him, we’ve made the safest commitment possible, and we can rejoice in the knowledge that we’ll never regret it.
Thomas White was one of the onsite Living Education students for the 2018-2019 semesters. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Thomas currently works as an Editorial Assistant for the Living Church of God. According to his wife, he eats pizza in entirely the wrong way.