Christ Object Lessons: The Sower Went Forth to Sow

The Sower and the Seed

By the parable of the sower, Christ illustrates the things of the kingdom of heaven, and the work of the great Husbandman for His people. Like a sower in the field, He came to scatter the heavenly grain of truth. And His parable teaching itself was the seed with which the most precious truths of His grace were sown. Because of its simplicity the parable of the sower has not been valued as it should be. From the natural seed cast into the soil, Christ desires to lead our minds to the gospel seed, the sowing of which results in bringing man back to his loyalty to God. He who gave the parable of the tiny seed is the Sovereign of heaven, and the same laws that govern earthly seed sowing govern the sowing of the seeds of truth.

Spinach: A Fresh Start for Spring

The Green Herald of Spring: A Vegan Guide to Spinach

As winter’s chill slowly gives way to the gentle warmth of March, nature offers its first signs of renewal. Among the earliest vegetables to grace our gardens and markets is spinach. Tender, vibrant, and overflowing with nutrients, spinach is the perfect food to celebrate the beginning of spring.

For centuries, this leafy green has been valued as a source of strength and vitality. Whether you’re a long-time plant-based eater or just looking to add more greens to your plate, spinach is one of the most versatile and powerful tools in your vegan kitchen.

Archaeology Digs the Bible

Archaeology and the Bible: What the Evidence Actually Shows

Many people today believe the Bible exists only in the realm of faith and that science or archaeology has disproved its history. Popular media often presents biblical stories as legends that cannot be supported by evidence.

The reality is more nuanced. Archaeology cannot prove every event in the Bible, but it has uncovered a large number of discoveries that confirm the existence of biblical people, places, and events. It has also revealed ancient manuscripts that demonstrate how carefully the text of the Bible has been preserved.

Ministry of Healing: Prayer for the Sick

The Scripture says that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1); and if ever there is a time when they feel their need of prayer, it is when strength fails and life itself seems slipping from their grasp. Often those who are in health forget the wonderful mercies continued to them day by day, year after year, and they render no tribute of praise to God for His benefits. But when sickness comes, God is remembered. When human strength fails, men feel their need of divine help. And never does our merciful God turn from the soul that in sincerity seeks Him for help. He is our refuge in sickness as in health.

Christ Object Lessons: Teaching in Parables

In Christ's parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly; God was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it was in Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar.

The Scripture says, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; . . . that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Matt. 13:34, 35. Natural things were the medium for the spiritual; the things of nature and the life-experience of His hearers were connected with the truths of the written word. Leading thus from the natural to the spiritual kingdom, Christ's parables [p. 18] are links in the chain of truth that unites man with God, and earth with heaven.

Disconnected: The Real Cost of Digital Poverty

What Is Digital Poverty 

Digital poverty (often described as part of the digital divide) refers to the inability of individuals or households to meaningfully participate in the digital world — not just lacking internet access, but also lacking devices and the skills to use them effectively. It includes gaps in internet connectivity, affordable devices, and digital literacy. It isn’t just about having internet — it’s about whether people can use digital tools to participate fully in modern life. 

Black History Month: Remembering, Repenting, and Restoring

February, Black History Month, and a Call to Christian Reflection

As February marked Black History Month, many across North America paused to remember the suffering, resilience, and achievements of Black Americans. For the church, this month is more than a cultural observance—it is a spiritual opportunity. It invites us to examine our history in light of the gospel, to acknowledge where Christians failed to reflect Christ, and to recommit ourselves to justice, repentance, and reconciliation.

For Seventh-day Adventists, this reflection includes listening carefully to what Ellen G. White wrote about slavery, racism, and the church’s responsibility.

The Ministry of Healing: In the Sickroom

Those who minister to the sick should understand the importance of careful attention to the laws of health. Nowhere is obedience to these laws more important than in the sickroom. Nowhere does so much depend upon faithfulness in little things on the part of the attendants. In cases of serious illness, a little neglect, a slight inattention to a patient's special needs or dangers, the manifestation of fear, excitement, or petulance, even a lack of sympathy, may turn the scale that is balancing life and death, and cause to go down to the grave a patient who otherwise might have recovered.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: Not Judging, but Doing

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1.

The effort to earn salvation by one's own works inevitably leads men to pile up human exactions as a barrier against sin. For, seeing that they fail to keep the law, they will devise rules and regulations of their own to force themselves to obey. All this turns the mind away from God to self. His love dies out of the heart, and with it perishes love for his fellow men. A system of human invention, with its multitudinous exactions, will lead its advocates to judge all who come short of the prescribed human standard. The atmosphere of selfish and narrow criticism stifles the noble and generous emotions, and causes men to become self-centered judges and petty spies.

Heaven’s Winter Health: Healing Your Home and Body Naturally

In the quiet of winter, when the air is sharp and the days are short, we often feel the urge to shut ourselves away. While modern medicine often points us toward artificial supports, there is a profound, restorative power in the natural remedies God provided from the beginning—remedies used for generations to maintain strength and vitality.

Even if you live in a small space, on a tight budget, or with limited sunlight, you can turn your home into a sanctuary of health this season.

Biblically Accurate Angels

Popular Imagination vs. Biblical Revelation

Angels occupy a powerful place in modern Western culture. They appear in film, television, greeting cards, memorial art, music, and within the broader “spiritual but not religious” movement. Many speak of guardian angels, “angel numbers,” or invisible helpers who bring comfort and protection. In these portrayals, angels are gentle, reassuring companions—personal, emotionally warm, and primarily concerned with individual well-being.

Modern imagery typically presents angels as beautiful, human-like beings dressed in white, glowing softly, adorned with feathered wings and halos. They are often portrayed as feminine or androgynous, tender and non-threatening. This image owes far more to Renaissance art and contemporary spirituality than to Scripture.

The Bible, by contrast, presents angels as powerful, purposeful, and often fear-inducing servants of God. When angels appear in Scripture, their first words are frequently “Do not be afraid,” because their presence inspires awe rather than sentimental comfort.

Minstry of Healing: Ministry to the Rich

Cornelius, the Roman centurion, was a man of wealth and of noble birth. His position was one of trust and honor. A heathen by birth, training, and education, through contact with the Jews he had gained a knowledge of the true God, and he worshiped Him, showing the sincerity of his faith by compassion to the poor. He gave "alms to the people, and prayed to God always." Acts 10:2, A.R.V.

Cornelius had not a knowledge of the gospel as revealed in the life and death of Christ, and God sent a message direct from heaven to him, and by another message directed the apostle Peter to visit and instruct him. Cornelius was not united with the Jewish church, and he would have been looked upon by the rabbis as a heathen and unclean; but God read the sincerity of his heart, and sent messengers from His throne to unite with His servant on earth in teaching the gospel to this officer of Rome.

So today God is seeking for souls among the high as well as the low. There are many like Cornelius, men whom He desires to connect with His church. Their sympathies are with the Lord's people. But the ties that bind them to the world hold them firmly. It requires moral courage for these men to take their position with the lowly ones. Special effort [210] should be made for these souls, who are in so great danger because of their responsibilities and associations.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: The Lord's Prayer

 

"After this manner therefore pray ye." Matthew 6:9.

The Lord's Prayer was twice given by our Saviour, first to the multitude in the Sermon on the Mount, and again, some months later, to the disciples alone. The disciples had been for a short time absent from their Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God. Seeming unconscious of their presence, He continued praying aloud. The Saviour's face was irradiated with a celestial brightness. He seemed to be in the very presence of the Unseen, and there was a living power in His words as of one who spoke with God.

The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude in communion with His Father. His days were passed in ministry to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis, and this incessant labor often left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, had feared that His life would be sacrificed. But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence. It was from hours spent with God that He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. The disciples had come to [103] connect His hours of prayer with the power of His words and works. Now, as they listened to His supplication, their hearts were awed and humbled. As He ceased praying, it was with a conviction of their own deep need that they exclaimed, "Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1.

Does Milk Really Do the Body Good?

Dairy Under the Microscope

For generations, dairy has been promoted as a dietary cornerstone. Yet as nutrition science advances and food systems change, long-standing assumptions about dairy’s safety and necessity deserve careful reexamination.

The Case for Dairy, and Why It Persists

Dairy is commonly presented as an efficient source of calcium, protein, and several essential micro nutrients. Public health messaging has long emphasized milk for bone health, framing it as critical for building strong skeletons in youth and preventing fractures later in life. Dairy proteins, particularly whey and casein, are also promoted as high quality and beneficial for muscle maintenance, athletic performance, and aging populations.

More recently, certain dairy products, especially yogourt and cheese, have been portrayed as neutral or even protective for heart health, despite their saturated fat content. Fermented dairy is also marketed for gut health and weight management, and dairy’s affordability and cultural familiarity are often cited as reasons it remains embedded in dietary guidelines and institutional food programs.

These claims have helped establish dairy as both nutritionally “necessary” and broadly safe. However, necessity and familiarity are not the same as optimal health.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: The True Motive in Service

"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them." Matthew 6:1, margin.

The words of Christ on the mount were an expression of that which had been the unspoken teaching of His life, but which the people had failed to comprehend. They could not understand how, having such great power, He neglected to use it in securing what they regarded as the chief good. Their spirit and motives and methods were the opposite of His. While they claimed to be very jealous for the honor of the law, self-glory was the real object which they sought; and Christ would make it manifest to them that the lover of self is a transgressor of the law.

But the principles cherished by the Pharisees are such as are characteristic of humanity in all ages. The spirit of Pharisaism is the spirit of human nature; and as the Saviour showed the contrast between His own spirit and methods and those of the rabbis, His teaching is equally applicable to the people of all time.

Minstry of Healing: The Helpless Poor

 

 When all has been done that can be done in helping the poor to help themselves, there still remain the widow and the fatherless, the aged, the helpless, and the sick, that claim sympathy and care. Never should these be neglected. They are committed by God Himself to the mercy, the love, and the tender care of all whom He has made His stewards.

The Household of Faith

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:10.

In a special sense, Christ has laid upon His church the duty of caring for the needy among its own members. He suffers His poor to be in the borders of every church. They are always to be among us, and He places upon the members of the church a personal responsibility to care for them.

As the members of a true family care for one another, ministering to the sick, supporting the weak, teaching the ignorant, training the inexperienced, so is "the household of faith" to care for its needy and helpless ones. Upon no consideration are these to be passed by. [202]

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: The Spirituality of the Law

 "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Matthew 5:17.

It was Christ who, amid thunder and flame, had proclaimed the law upon Mount Sinai. The glory of God, like devouring fire, rested upon its summit, and the mountain quaked at the presence of the Lord. The hosts of Israel, lying prostrate upon the earth, had listened in awe to the sacred precepts of the law. What a contrast to the scene upon the mount of the Beatitudes! Under the summer sky, with no sound to break the stillness but the song of birds, Jesus unfolded the principles of His kingdom. Yet He who spoke to the people that day in accents of love, was opening to them the principles of the law proclaimed upon Sinai.

When the law was given, Israel, degraded by the long bondage in Egypt, had need to be impressed with the power and majesty of God; yet He revealed Himself to them no less as a God of love.

Beating the Freeze: Staying Warm When the Temperature Drops

Winter cold in Toronto and across Ontario is not just uncomfortable but can be life-threatening, especially for people who are homeless or underhoused. More than 80,000 people experienced homelessness in Ontario in 2024, and in Toronto 135 unhoused individuals died in the first half of the year alone, as shelter and warming spaces remain stretched beyond capacity. Cold-related illness often occurs before extreme cold alerts are issued, particularly when rain, snow, and dampness are involved, and the risk extends beyond those outdoors to low-income renters and seniors struggling with inadequate heat. While cold weather affects everyone, it is most dangerous for the vulnerable, making winter a season that calls for practical preparedness, compassion, and neighbourly care.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: The Beatitudes

"He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit:

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:2, 3.

As something strange and new, these words fall upon the ears of the wondering multitude. Such teaching is contrary to all they have ever heard from priest or rabbi. They see in it nothing to flatter their pride or to feed their ambitious hopes. But there is about this new Teacher a power that holds them spellbound. The sweetness of divine love flows from His very presence as the fragrance from a flower. His words fall like "rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth." Psalm 72:6. All feel instinctively that here is One who reads the secrets of the soul, yet who comes near to them with tender compassion. Their hearts open to Him, and, as they listen, the Holy Spirit unfolds to them something of the meaning of that lesson which humanity in all ages so needs to learn.

In the days of Christ the religious leaders of the people felt that they were rich in spiritual treasure. The prayer of the Pharisee, "God, I thank Thee, that I am not as the rest of men" (Luke 18:11, R.V.), expressed the feeling of his class and, to a great degree, of the whole nation. But in the throng that surrounded Jesus there were some who had a sense of their spiritual poverty. When in the miraculous [7] draft of fishes the divine power of Christ was revealed, Peter fell at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8); so in the multitude gathered upon the mount there were souls who, in the presence of His purity, felt that they were "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17); and they longed for "the grace of God that bringeth salvation" (Titus 2:11). In these souls, Christ's words of greeting awakened hope; they saw that their lives were under the benediction of God.

Minstry of Healing: Help for the Unemployed and the Homeless

There are largehearted men and women who are anxiously considering the condition of the poor and what means can be found for their relief. How the unemployed and the homeless can be helped to secure the common blessings of God's providence and to live the life He intended man to live, is a question to which many are earnestly endeavoring to find an answer. But there are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are unable to solve the problem of poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis.

If men would give more heed to the teaching of God's word, they would find a solution of these problems that perplex them. Much might be learned from the Old Testament in regard to the labor question and the relief of the poor.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: On the Mountainside

Preface 

The Sermon on the Mount is Heaven's benediction to the world—a voice from the throne of God.

It was given to mankind to be to them the law of duty and the light of heaven, their hope and consolation in despondency, their joy and comfort in all the vicissitudes and walks of life. Here the Prince of preachers, the Master Teacher, utters the words that the Father gave Him to speak.

The Beatitudes are Christ's greeting, not only to those who believe, but to the whole human family. He seems to have forgotten for a moment that He is in the world, not in heaven; and He uses the familiar salutation of the world of light. Blessings flow from His lips as the gushing forth of a long-sealed current of rich life.

Christ leaves us in no doubt as to the traits of character that He will always recognize and bless. From the ambitious favorites of the world, He turns to those whom they disown, pronouncing all blessed who receive His light and life. To the poor in spirit, the meek, the lowly, the sorrowful, the despised, the persecuted, He opens His arms of refuge, saying, "Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest."

Christ can look upon the misery of the world without a shade of sorrow for having created man. In the human heart He sees more than sin, more than misery. In His infinite wisdom and love He sees man's possibilities, the height to which he may attain. He knows that, even though human beings have abused [viii] their mercies and destroyed their God-given dignity, yet the Creator is to be glorified in their redemption.

Throughout all time the words that Christ spoke from the mount of Beatitudes will retain their power. Every sentence is a jewel from the treasure house of truth. The principles enunciated in this discourse are for all ages and for all classes of men. With divine energy, Christ expressed His faith and hope as He pointed out class after class as blessed because of having formed righteous characters. Living the life of the Life-giver, through faith in Him, everyone can reach the standard held up in His words.

Ministry of Healing: Working for the Intemperate

Every true reform has its place in the work of the gospel and tends to the uplifting of the soul to a new and nobler life. Especially does the temperance reform demand the support of Christian workers. They should call attention to this work and make it a living issue. Everywhere they should present to the people the principles of true temperance and call for signers to the temperance pledge. Earnest effort should be made in behalf of those who are in bondage to evil habits.

There is everywhere a work to be done for those who through intemperance have fallen. In the midst of churches, religious institutions, and professedly Christian homes, many of the youth are choosing the path to destruction. Through intemperate habits they bring upon themselves disease, and through greed to obtain money for sinful indulgence they fall into dishonest practices. Health and character are ruined. Aliens from God, outcasts from society, these poor souls feel that they are without hope either for this life or for the life to come. The hearts of the parents are broken. Men speak of these erring ones as hopeless; but not so does God regard them. He understands all the circumstances that have made [172] them what they are, and He looks upon them with pity. This is a class that demand help. Never give them occasion to say, "No man cares for my soul." 

Steps to Christ: Rejoicing in the Lord

The children of God are called to be representatives of Christ, showing forth the goodness and mercy of the Lord. As Jesus has revealed to us the true character of the Father, so we are to reveal Christ to a world that does not know His tender, pitying love. "As Thou hast sent Me into the world," said Jesus, "even so have I also sent them into the world." "I in them, and Thou in Me; . . . that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me." John 17: 18, 23. The apostle Paul says to the disciples of Jesus, "Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ," "known and read of all men." 2 Corinthians 3:3, 2. In every one of His children, Jesus sends a letter to the world. If you are Christ's follower, He sends in you a letter to the family, the village, the street, where you live. Jesus, dwelling in you, desires to speak to the hearts of those who are not acquainted with Him. Perhaps they do not read the Bible, or do not hear the voice that speaks to them in its pages; they do not see the love of God through His works. But if you are a true representative of Jesus, it may be that through you they will be led to understand something of His goodness and be won to love and serve Him.