Month / July 2025

by In Light Of The Cross

How can Psalm 91:7-8 be True While Bad Things Happen to Righteous People?

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Many Christians find comfort in these words from the Psalmist, but may not fully understand their meaning, 

A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Psalm 91:7-8 NKJV

I have had people ask me why their loved one died of COVID while claiming this Bible promise. Why does God allow Christians to die in terrorist attacks? Doesn’t this Psalm say a thousand may fall or even ten thousand, but it won’t come near you?

Yes, it does, but it also goes on to say that we will only see the reward of the wicked. COVID as well as terrorist attacks are not a judgment on the wicked. There is a difference between suffering the consequences of sin and suffering the reward of the wicked, or the judgment of the wicked.

In Matthew 5:45 Jesus tells us that the rain and sunshine fall on both the good and the bad. That is all just a part of life. Well, it’s also a part of our character development. The point is that both rain and sunshine are just the consequences of living in a sinful world, but not a direct judgment. In John 9:2-3 the disciples asked if a certain man was born blind because of his own sin or his parents. For some reason, it just makes us feel better if we assure ourselves that the person suffering somehow deserved it. That way we don’t have to question the mercy and justice of God. But Jesus said the man’s blindness was not a judgment against him or his parents. We live in a sinful world where bad things just happen. Even through all of this, God’s goodness can still be seen, just like Jesus healing the blind man in John 9. 

When COVID first came on the scene someone asked me if this was the beginning of the last plagues in Revelation. I told them no. First of all, no plague describes COVID. Second, the last plagues fall on those who have the mark of the beast. See Revelation 16:2. Right now, no one has the mark of the beast, and therefore no one is currently suffering from any of the 7 last plagues of Revelation. 

Like the plagues in Exodus which fell on the Egyptians but not on any of the Israelites, the 7 last plagues only fall on the wicked. Like the plagues in Exodus, the 7 last plagues are a judgment from God on the wicked. See Revelation 16:7. I was intrigued the other day, when my father pointed out as we studied the Sabbath School lesson over the phone, that in Exodus 9:29, Moses walks out of the city before stopping the hailstorm. This meant that Moses walked through the hailstorm as he left the city, totally unscathed. This is where Psalm 91:7-8 applies. The Psalmist tells us we will not experience the reward of the wicked. While assuring us of God’s protection throughout the Psalms, the Psalmist never promises us that we will not experience any of the consequences of living in a sinful world. The Psalmist only assures us that the righteous will not experience any of the direct judgments of God on the wicked.

Just as Lot and his family were saved from the direct judgments on Sodom and Gomorrah, the righteous will be saved from the direct judgments on the wicked. Amos 3:7 tells us that God does nothing without first telling his prophets, and the direct judgments on the wicked always come with plenty of warning first. Noah preached long before the flood. Jonah warned all of Ninevah. Likewise, in Revelation 14:9-12 God has a people who will warn the world not to take the mark of the beast long before it becomes a test. 

According to Revelation 16:2, the 7 last plagues will only fall on those who have the mark of the beast. This is where the promise of Psalm 91:7-8 applies. Sure, Psalm 91 applies wherever a direct judgment from God occurs. Psalm 91:8 clearly says it is the reward of the wicked that the righteous will not experience. Meanwhile, the sunshine and rain Jesus mentioned in Matthew 5:45, which are not direct judgments on the wicked, happen to both the good and the bad as a part of life. 

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.

by In Light Of The Cross

5: Passover-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, August 2, 2025.

Main Theme: The Passover not only led to Israel’s freedom from Egyptian bondage but was also a shadow of our freedom from the bondage of sin.

Read in Class: Exodus 11:1-10. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: What warning did God give before executing judgment upon Egypt?

Apply: If we can’t get the perfect balance (which we can’t), why is it better to err on the side of mercy instead of justice? Or is it?

Share: Your friend says that Romans 2:4 tells us it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. So where in all of these plagues did Pharaoh see God’s goodness, so he could be led to repentance? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 12:1-23. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What specific instructions does God give to Moses and Aaron before Israel leaves Egypt? What was the Lord going to do for them when the final plague came? What does all this symbolize?

Apply: What role does blood play in the celebration of this new festival? What does the fact that it took the blood of Jesus, God Himself, to atone for sin teach us about how bad sin really is?

Share: Your friend asks, why God wanted to lamb to be in the home 4 days before killing it? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 12:24-28. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What important point was being made here?

Apply: In what ways did retelling the story of the Passover benefit the speaker as well as the hearer? How does it help us to share sacred stories with others?

Share: What amazing sacred stories or experiences do you or your family enjoy sharing over and over again?

Read in Class: Exodus 12:29-30. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: Why did God focus on the firstborn? (See also Heb. 11:28.)

Apply: In what ways have you suffered from others’ sins? Or what are ways others have suffered from your sins? What is our only hope?

Share: You friend asks, where do we see the good news of the Gospel in all these plagues, especially the last one? What do you tell your friend?

by In Light Of The Cross

4: The Plagues-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, July 26, 2025.

Main Theme: God had to send some strong persuasions for Pharaoh to let God’s people go.

Read in Class: Exodus 7:8-15, 22. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What lessons are here in this first confrontation between the God of the Hebrews and the gods of Egypt?

Apply: How can we allow the Lord to have sovereignty over any of the “gods” seeking supremacy in our lives?

Share: Your friend asks you how to make sure we do not harden our own hearts against doing God’s will and prepare yourself to make right choices. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 7:14-8:19. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What happened in these plagues?

Apply: Think how hard Pharaoh’s heart was. Repeated rejection of God’s prompting only made it worse. What lessons are here for each of us about the constant rejection of the Lord’s prompting?

Share: Your friend asks you why God kept hardening Pharaoh’s heart. What do you tell your friend? For a hint see Redemption in Romans.

Read in Class: Exodus 8:20-9:12. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What does this account teach about however great may be the manifestations of God’s power and glory, humanity still has freedom to reject Him?

Apply: Pharaoh’s problem wasn’t intellectual; he had enough rational evidence to make the right choice. Instead, it was a problem of his heart. What should this tell us about why we must guard our hearts?

Share: Your friend asks how do we know when something bad is happening because it is a judgment from God or if it is just a part of life? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 9:13-10:29. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: How successful are these plagues in getting Pharaoh to change his mind?

Apply: How can we guard against the pride Pharaoh exhibited? What portions of Scripture encourage us to be humble and teachable?

Share: Your friend says that if God just performed more modern-day miracles everyone would believe. How do we know that is not so? What do you tell your friend?

by In Light Of The Cross

Crucial Conversations With God

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Often in our conversations with others, we try to avoid conflict and complaining. We certainly don’t want to seem disrespectful. However, this should not keep us from having crucial conversations. In this week’s Sabbath School Lesson, Moses has a crucial conversation with God, where Moses makes some crucial accusations that some mortals may be afraid to make.

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.” Exodus 5:22-23 NKJV

This same Moses, who was told earlier to take off his sandals and not come too close to the burning bush because he was standing on holy ground, does not seem to have any problem here calling God out on the carpet, even accusing Him of doing nothing at all to save His people.

First, let’s address the fact that while things seemed to be getting worse and Moses could not see God working, God was working on behalf of His children. Sometimes things must get worse before they can get better. God is often working behind our backs on our behalf.

Years ago, I was a local hire Bible Worker in the Texas Conference, where I was paid by the local church rather than the conference. While I was getting several baptisms, it seemed to me that I was left out of things with the conference, and they did not seem to care. That should not have bothered me, as I was working for God, not for men, and I was a local church employee, not a conference employee. Still, it bothered me that they didn’t seem to care. Then one day, I received a letter from the conference office telling me they appreciated my work and were praying for me when they prayed for the pastors during their prayer time at the conference office. Later, as a gift, they sent a check out to all the pastors, telling them to take their wives out for dinner and a lovely evening out. Although I was not a conference employee, they sent me the same check and offer. Knowing I was single, they suggested I bring a lady friend, which I did. Just when I thought the Texas conference didn’t care, it turned out they did. They were praying for me behind my back without me even knowing about it till after the fact.

Many times, when it does not look like God is doing anything for us, He is working quite hard on our behalf, behind our backs. He has our back!

Likewise, God was working hard behind Moses’ back, even though it sure did not look like it at first. Sometimes things getting worse is a sign that something extraordinary is about to happen. You have heard the saying, “Sometimes things seem to be falling apart when they are falling into place.” That was sure true for Jacob when he had to send Benjamin to Egypt with his brothers after already losing Joseph. Poor Jacob thought everything was falling apart when, in fact, it was falling into place.

Now let’s consider Moses’ brash accusations towards God. Notice that Moses did not get struck by lightning. God understands we are only human. He expects to have crucial conversations with us. He expects us to be real with Him. Some suggest all our prayers should be nothing but praise and thanksgiving, but keep in mind that at least a third of the Psalms are lamentations, and then there is an entire book of lamentations. I think it’s called Lamentations. In Will Baron’s book, Deceived by the New Age, there is a part where Baron is deceived into thinking God wants him to give a considerable sum of money he cannot afford. Baron began cursing God and calling Him some obscene things that I will not repeat. Did God strike Baron down with lightning? No. He showed him His mercy and delivered him from the deceptions he was under.

God does not get angry with us when we are mad at Him. Being mad at Him can be a good sign because it means we at least believe He exists! And that is the difference between lamenting and just being cynical. When we lament to God, we are grieving with faith and hope. I have to believe that Moses had already seen enough of God’s goodness that even when he accused God of doing nothing at all to save them, he was meaning, “Here is your opportunity to prove me wrong, God. Go ahead and show me your glory again.”

God does not avoid crucial conversations. He invites us to have crucial conversations with Him. Is there a crucial conversation you need to have with God now? He is waiting to hear from you.

by In Light Of The Cross

3: Rough Start-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, July 19, 2025.

Main Theme: Moses and the command to lead God’s people out of Egypt—about as clear a call from God as anyone could have. Indeed, it included miracles, as well as God Himself speaking directly to Moses and letting him know exactly what He wanted Moses to do. How much easier, then, could it have been for Moses, knowing that he had been called by God and even given a specific task?

Read in Class: Exodus 5:5-23. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: What were the immediate results of Moses and Aaron’s first recorded encounter with Pharaoh? Put yourself in the place of these men as they confronted Moses and Aaron. Why would they say what they did?

Apply: What are some better ways you and others might be able to deal with local church leaders when disagreements arise, as they inevitably do?

Share: Can you share an experience you had where things did not get off to a great start but ended wonderfully?

Read in Class: Exodus 5:22-6:8. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What is God’s response to Moses, and what important theological truths are revealed here?

Apply: What passages of Scripture give you hope when things seem to be going rough?

Share: Your friend asks, “What other Bible characters have cried out in complaint before God, and with good reasons? Why is it OK, at times, to pour out your soul to God and even complain about your situation? Why, though, must you always do it in faith and in trust?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 6:9-13. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: What happened next, and what lessons can we take from this story about times of disappointment and struggle in our lives?

Apply: Think through the phrase, “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God” (Exod. 6:7, NKJV). Though the context was corporate, how does this apply to each one of us individually, and how should this relationship be manifested in our daily lives? (See also 2 Cor. 6:16.)

Share: How do you respond when people don’t seem to be listening to you, especially when what you have to say is very important?

Read in Class: Exodus 6:28-7:7. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: How does the Lord deal with Moses’ objection?

Apply: Moses ran out of excuses for not following what God had called him to do. What excuses might we use to try to get out of what we know God wants us to do?

Share: Your friend asks what it means that Moses was a God to Pharaoh? What do you tell your friend? How might this concept be applied today?

by In Light Of The Cross

What We Need to Learn From Moses’ Radical Attitude Change Towards Ministry

In this week’s lesson, we are learning about when Moses was called to lead God’s people out of Egypt. He was very reluctant to take this calling. After several miraculous signs confirmed his calling, Moses still asked to be relieved of his responsibilities.

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” Exodus 4:13 NKJV

Of course, we know Moses goes on to take this calling and leads God’s people out of Egypt. I’m sharing here what I would like to know. How did Moses go all the way from saying, “Send anyone but me,” to telling God right after one of Israel’s lowest points,

Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” Exodus 32:32 NKJV

What I want to know is, what made Moses go from “I don’t want anything to do with this mission” to “I am willing to be blotted out of the book of life if that’s what it takes to make this mission a success.” 

While contemplating this, I think I found a clue. Moses spent a lot of time with God before the golden calf incident. God was instructing Moses concerning the sanctuary and the plan of salvation. In the sanctuary, did Moses get a glimpse of the cross? Of course, Moses had already received glimpses of the cross, like the first Passover, for example. Did the shadow of the cross change Moses’ whole disposition and attitude? Moses went from trying to avoid leading the people to immediately interceding for them when they were causing trouble. When  Mirriam has leprosy, Moses immediately intercedes for her. Then in Numbers 16, when Korah leads a rebellion, Moses again intercedes for others in the camp.

I believe Moses saw something in the sanctuary service. I believe he saw something in the shadow of the cross that radically changed his ministry. 

I shared this story before, so I will be brief here. However, I recall that when I was a literature evangelist, I was very bitter that I did not receive the award I had expected to receive. Later  I found myself walking through an old cemetery, pondering the meaning of life, when I realized I was not alive to receive awards. I was alive to share the hope of Jesus. Once I took my eyes off my pain and set them back on the cross, everything in my life made sense and became balanced again. That was 35 years ago. Ever since then, I have found that when I become hurt, bitter, and discouraged, it is because I have taken my eyes off the cross and centered them on self. At the time, I justified it by calling it self-care and taking care of my own mental health. Every time I shift my focus away from myself and back to the cross, I find healing. It’s no wonder Isaiah 53:5 states, “by His stripes we are healed.”

Regardless of what our calling is, it can be anything from parenting to leading a large organization to hosting a small group Bible study, we all have had moments when we want to throw in the towel and call it quits. Life is hard for everyone. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us no temptation comes to us but what is common to all humanity. Moses had his moments, and Elijah had his too. And so do we when we just want to throw in the towel and be done with it all. When these moments come, take some time for self-care. Take a mental health day or at least a mental health hour. But instead of a self-pity party, try this instead.  

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit.-Ellen White,  Desire of Ages, p. 83.

May I add that our mental health will be restored and balanced again, so we will be encouraged to complete the mission God has called us to. It is when I take my eyes off the cross that discouragement sets in, and I am tempted to throw in the towel and find a nice island on Google Maps where I can go live by myself. You can’t believe I just shared that on an open forum? Well, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells me I am not alone. It happened to Moses. It happened to Elijah. I bet it’s crossed your mind too. That’s why I am sharing with you that when I place my eyes back on the cross, I find healing for my mental health. I find peace, courage, and even the happiness I need to continue my calling. 

I think Moses went from running away from his God-given ministry to fiercely interceding for those he was called to minister to when he saw the glory of God’s love and His amazing sacrifice. Nothing ruins a perfectly good self-pity, woe-is-me party like the cross. Nothing brings healing, mental health, and mental stability like the cross to take on the toughest missions. It is when I look at the cross that everything in my heart and mind becomes reconciled and I am at peace. By His stripes I am healed. Isaiah 53:5.

I invite you to join me this quarter as we witness God’s grace transform Moses and the way he conducts ministry. 

by In Light Of The Cross

2: The Burning Bush-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, July 12, 2025.

Main Theme: You may recall instances when you had specific goals, but God redirected those plans. We can indeed be helpful to God in many ways, but following God’s call in our lives and doing what He leads us to do is undoubtedly the path to the most satisfying existence. It might not always be easy, and it wasn’t easy for Moses, but how foolish to go our own way when God is calling us in another direction.

Read in Class: Exodus 3:1-6. Ask the class to summarize this passage in their own words.

Study: What significance can be found in the fact that the Lord introduced Himself to Moses as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”?

Apply: Moses needed 80 years before God deemed him ready for his task. What might this truth teach us about patience?

Share: Can you share an experience where your plans seemed to be derailed, but looking back, you see God was just preparing you for something better?

Read in Class: Exodus 3:7-12. Ask the class to summarize this passage in their own words.

Study: How did God explain to Moses why He wanted to intervene on behalf of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt?

Apply: Why is humility, and a sense of our own “unworthiness,” so important for anyone who seeks to follow the Lord and do anything for Him?

Share: Can you share a time when God called you to do something you did not feel qualified to do?

Read in Class: Exodus 3:13-22. Ask the class to summarize this passage in their own words.

Study:  Why did Moses want to know God’s name, and what is the significance of His name?

Apply: In what ways in your own life have you experienced the closeness and intimacy with Yahweh that He seeks to have with all who are surrendered to Him?

Share: What are some of the names of God the Father or God the Son that comfort you the most, and why?

Read in Class: Exodus 4:1-18. Ask the class to summarize this passage in their own words.

Study: What set of signs did God give to Moses to perform in order to strengthen his position as God’s messenger?

Apply: How does the Lord respond to Moses, and what lessons can we take from that for ourselves, in whatever situation we believe God calls us to?

Share: What signs has God given you in your life that have strengthened your faith?