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Jonathan Petersen
December 13, 2018

How to Read the Bible in the Order of Events as They Transpired in Bible Times: An Interview with Ron Rhodes

Dr. Ron RhodesWhen you read different books of the Bible, do you get confused about the order of events; for example, how the message of a prophet in one book fits into the timeline of activity recorded in another book? Or when and where the stories of Scripture took place and why it’s important to understand these details?

[Select the Chronological Bible reading plan on Bible Gateway]

Bible Gateway interviewed Dr. Ron Rhodes (@roncrhodes) about his book, A Chronological Tour Through the Bible (Harvest House Publishers, 2018).

Buy your copy of A Chronological Tour Through the Bible in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

[See books by Ron Rhodes in the Bible Gateway Store]

What does it mean to read the Bible chronologically?

Dr. Ron Rhodes: It means reading the Bible in the actual order of events as they transpired in Bible times. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, the book of Job is the 18th book in the Old Testament. However, most scholars agree that the events in the book of Job took place in close proximity to the patriarchs in the book of Genesis. Hence, in my book I address the book of Job right after dealing with Genesis.

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Drew Reichard
December 13, 2018

Learn More About the Genealogy of Jesus this Christmas

Family tree illustration by The Raymon Troup Studio

See the Fulfillment of God’s Covenant in the Names of a Family Tree

From the first chapter of Matthew, the New Testament displays how God keeps the covenants he gives to his people throughout the Old Testament. Matthew 1:1-17 lists the incredible genealogy that stretches from Abraham to the Messiah, outlining the long and breathtakingly complex plan that God fashioned throughout more than 40 generations of broken, sinful people, whom God used for his glory and our salvation.

How many times did individuals fall to temptation or danger or trials? God tested Abraham with Isaac’s life, threatening to end his line almost before it began. He included murderers and prostitutes. He was even willing to incorporate into the decedents of Abraham and David a man whom God himself cursed.

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December 12, 2018

My Life as a God Story

Jen WiseBy Jen Wise

This past spring our friends Jill and Guri secured a table at Talula’s Table, one of the most difficult dinner reservations to snag in the entire country. There was seating for eight, and we were elated to accept their invitation to take two of those spots. About a month out, the restaurant emailed the menu and we immediately commenced drooling and dreaming. Spring vegetable fricassee sprinkled over goat’s milk panna cotta with toasted honey wheat, popped sorghum, and local vinegar—that’s just course one. We were in for several hours of delicious, inventive, inspired food.

On the night of the dinner, we arrived on the dot, not wanting to miss a single moment (or a single appetizer) and enjoyed four hours of food bliss. Small plates, glasses, and fun accompaniments arrived and were whisked away at just the right moments. We savored every course—olive oil poached halibut and bloomy cheeses with savory huckleberries and burnt honey (okay, back to drooling again). The dinner was creative, fresh, and maybe most importantly, nothing we could have cooked up on our own. It was truly special.

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Mel Lawrenz
December 12, 2018

How to Live the Bible — JESUS

howtostudythebible

Sign up for the free email devotional Christmas JoyPastor and author Mel Lawrenz is interrupting his weekly How to Live the Bible series to focus our attention on the wonder of the Incarnation for the Advent season. This week, here’s a Christmas blessing for personal or church use (click here for a printable PDF version; permission granted to reproduce in full form). Christ has come!

Be sure to sign up for the free daily email devotional Christmas Joy. Many people do these 25 readings every year as a rhythm of reflecting on the wonder, the power, and the joy of the coming of Jesus the Christ. Each brief daily reading takes a word from the biblical text associated with the coming of Christ.
_____________________

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21

Sometimes a name is just a name, and sometimes a name captures someone perfectly. The ancients inclined to choose names carefully, so as to make a lifelong statement about a person’s identity. “Jesus” is a name so familiar to us today that we easily forget it was a name with extraordinary significance. The name an angel announced should be given to Mary and Joseph’s new child. And what a name! “Jesus” means “the Lord saves.”

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Jonathan Petersen
December 12, 2018

Take the Bible Gateway Christmas Hymns Quiz

Many hymns sung in the Christmas season have their roots in the Bible and the gospel message. How well do you know these carols? Have fun taking this brief quiz to find out. Encourage your family, friends, and social media followers to try their hand at it, too.

“…Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth…” (O Holy Night)
— For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 (MEV)

Once you’ve finished, sign up for Bible Gateway free email Christmas devotional: Classic Christmas Hymns and begin receiving them in your inbox.

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Jonathan Petersen
December 11, 2018

A Fresh Foodie Bible Study Adventure: An Interview with Margaret Feinberg

Margaret FeinbergAuthor and speaker Margaret Feinberg believes the Bible is meant to be more than read—it’s meant to be tasted and savored and explored with holy chutzpah. She recently went on an extraordinary biblical quest to explore six different foods in the Bible. The result is a scrumptious 6-session DVD Bible study and book.

Bible Gateway interviewed Margaret Feinberg (@mafeinberg) about her DVD Bible study, Taste and See: Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers (Zondervan, 2018).

Buy your copy of Taste and See Study Guide with DVD in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

What inspired you to undertake this spiritual-culinary quest?

Margaret Feinberg: Several years ago, I wrote the book and Bible study Scouting The Divine: My Search For God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey. I spent time with shepherds, beekeepers, farmers, and vintners and opened up the Scriptures and asked, “How do you read these passages in light of what you do every day?” Their answers changed the way I read the Bible forever.

When I finished the project, I was both undone by all I learned but also sensed I wasn’t done. That provided the genesis for the Bible study Taste and See: Discovering God among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers.

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December 11, 2018

The Secret to Ryan Shazier’s Relentless Determination

Steven Johnson Jr.By Steven Johnson Jr.

It looked like a routine play. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Josh Malone ran a shallow crossing route over the middle of the field. After Malone caught the ball, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier took two steps and delivered a hit with his right shoulder pad. It was an athletic play Ryan had made hundreds of times before. But this time something went wrong—and he knew it.

Immediately, Ryan reached for his lower back. He rolled over, unable to move his legs. Every eye in Paul Brown Stadium on December 4, 2017, focused on the Pro Bowl linebacker. The game stopped. He was strapped to a backboard and taken off the field on a cart surrounded by doctors, medical experts, and concerned teammates.

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Jonathan Petersen
December 10, 2018

This is the Most Popular Verse In 2 Billion Pageviews During 2018 on Bible Gateway

See the most popular Bible searches on Bible Gateway in 2018Out of more than 2 billion pageviews conducted by visitors to Bible Gateway during 2018, the most popular verse for the year was Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse ranked second in 2016 to John 3:16.

The most popular keyword searched for on Bible Gateway during the year was “love” in English and “amor” in Spanish (a repeat of 2016). Read the entire list of the top 100 Bible verses and top 25 keywords.

English was the language of choice for users, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and French (44% of our visitors were from outside the USA). People visited BibleGateway.com from a total of 241 countries or territories, including Vatican City, Israel, China, Vietnam, and Cuba. The top 10 countries visitors came from were the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, Philippines, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil.

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Jonathan Petersen
December 9, 2018

Bible News Roundup – Week of December 9, 2018

[Return daily during the coming week for updates]

See the Bible News Roundup archive on Bible Gateway

Support Bible Gateway—Browse the Bible Gateway Store
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This is the Most Popular Verse In 2 Billion Pageviews During 2018 on Bible Gateway
⇨ Bible Gateway Blog
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Bible Is the Most Reliable of Ancient Manuscripts That Have Made Their Way to Us
⇨ The Telegraph
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Undeniable Reliability of Scripture: An Interview with Josh McDowell
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December 6, 2018

The Source of True Hope

Cynthia RuchtiBy Cynthia Ruchti

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
— 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

“What is it about this family and hope?” my youngest grandson asked. “We have a cousin named Hope, and there’s hope everywhere in this house!”

I love his exuberance on the subject. Ours is a house filled with hope. It shows up in books on the bookshelves, mugs, pictures . . . it’s everywhere. I may have mentioned before that a young visitor came to our home and counted the items in our house bearing the word hope. She stopped counting at forty-seven.

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    Bible Gateway

    15 hours ago

    Bible Gateway

    VERSE OF THE DAY:
    And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
    So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
    'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
    For out of you shall come a Ruler
    Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” -Matthew 2:4-6 (NKJV)

    www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A4-6&version=NKJV     ...

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    Bible Gateway

    1 day ago

    Bible Gateway

    "Idolatry isn’t just one of many sins; rather it’s the one great sin that all others come from."- Kyle Idleman #wednesdaywisdom

    Read more from Kyle here: www.biblegateway.com/blog/2018/11/idolatry-great-sin/     ...

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    Bible Gateway

    2 days ago

    Bible Gateway

    But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children. -Galatians 4:4-5 (NCV)
    www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+4%3A4-5&version=NCV     ...

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    The Bible Gateway blog features the latest news, announcements, and reflections from Bible Gateway. We hope what you find here will add to your understanding of and appreciation for the Bible.