First the Blade, Then the Ear

 

The parable of the sower excited much questioning. Some of the hearers gathered from it that Christ was not to establish an earthly kingdom, and many were curious and perplexed. Seeing their perplexity, Christ used other illustrations, still seeking to turn their thoughts from the hope of a worldly kingdom to the work of God's grace in the soul.

"And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

The husbandman who "putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come," can be no other than Christ. It is [p. 63] He who at the last great day will reap the harvest of the earth. But the sower of the seed represents those who labor in Christ's stead. The seed is said to "spring and grow up, he knoweth not how," and this is not true of the Son of God. Christ does not sleep over His charge, but watches it day and night. He is not ignorant of how the seed grows.

Mirror Neurons: Human See, Human Do

It’s Health Tuesday at Parkdale Seventh-day Adventist Church! Today, we are diving into the neuroscience of influence. Did you know your brain actually simulates the actions and emotions of the people you observe? This look at Mirror Neurons offers a unique perspective on how we can "hack" our habits for better mental health and stronger character. To our Toronto community: we hope this "spiritual food" nourishes your mind today, and we invite you to join our church family this Sabbath for a time of rest and fellowship.

Mirror Neurons and the Science of Influence

Have you ever jumped in your seat during a movie because the protagonist was startled? Or felt a physical wince in your own gut when you saw a skateboarder take a nasty fall on the sidewalk?

That isn’t just your imagination. It’s a specialized group of brain cells called mirror neurons at work. They are the reason why "watching" often feels a lot like "doing." Your brain doesn’t just observe, it simulates.

The Promised Lamb: The Story of Redemption from Genesis to the Cross

Easter, Passover, and the Cross: The Prophecy in Symbols

For many today, Easter is associated with springtime, new life, and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. But in Scripture, the death and resurrection of Christ did not occur in isolation from Israel’s sacred calendar. They took place during Passover, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits, appointed feasts given by God centuries earlier. These were not merely Jewish traditions; they were divinely designed symbols pointing forward to the redeeming work of Christ.

Over time, many within Christianity gradually moved away from observing Passover in direct connection with Christ’s death, instead commemorating Good Friday and Easter Sunday on a calendar no longer tied to the biblical feasts. This shift developed over the early centuries and became more formalized in the fourth century, especially under Constantine the Great at the First Council of Nicaea, where the church sought a unified method for celebrating the resurrection that did not depend on the Jewish Passover calendar. While the resurrection remained central, this growing distance from the spring feasts may have obscured how precisely Christ fulfilled the symbols God had embedded in Israel’s worship.

By revisiting these symbols, we can reconnect the cross to its original meaning and better understand what Christ accomplished there.

Ministry of Healing: Mind Cure

The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death.

Disease is sometimes produced, and is often greatly aggravated, by the imagination. Many are lifelong invalids who might be well if they only thought so. Many imagine that every slight exposure will cause illness, and the evil effect is produced because it is expected. Many die from disease the cause of which is wholly imaginary.

Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. "A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth good like a medicine." Proverbs 17:22.

Dragon Tales

As the Sabbath approaches, we invite our Parkdale community to pause and consider a vital question: Whose voice are we trusting? This week's Friday reflection explores the "tail of the dragon"—the power of deception—and how we can find our footing on the solid ground of Scripture. Join us at Parkdale Seventh-day Adventist Church this Sabbath for fellowship and worship as we seek the Truth together.

The Tail of the Dragon: Deception in the Heavens

In Revelation 12:3–4, we are shown a striking scene in heaven: a great red dragon uses his tail to cast a third of the stars of heaven to the earth. Who is this dragon? What are these stars? What is happening here, and what are we to learn from it?

Scripture identifies the dragon as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan” who deceived Eve (Revelation 20:2; Genesis 3:13). Stars are shown to represent angels (Revelation 1:20), and we are told plainly that this dragon was cast down to the earth with his angels (Revelation 12:9).

But why does the text specifically mention his tail as the instrument that displaces the stars?