Danville Faith Community Sets World Record for Fastest Bible-Reading
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Bibles For The World is Teaming with an Author Who is Attempting to Help People Around the World to Learn Key Parts of the Bible in a Year
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Group Seeks to Pile POW/MIA Display with Other Religious Texts, Rather Than Favor Christian Bible
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Philippines House Panel OKs Bill Declaring Last Monday of January ‘National Bible Day’
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Editor’s Note: This post, taken from Jennifer’s new book One Beautiful Dream, highlights a snapshot of Jennifer’s busy life as a mother working from home and raising six children, and what happens when her day gets unexpectedly interrupted by a group of mischievous neighbor girls.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. – John 10:3-4
I went into try-harder battle mode, determined to minimize distraction and maximize productivity. I committed to getting out of bed as soon as my alarm went off to have more morning writing time. I got a noisier fan to put outside the bedrooms. It sounded like a Category 3 hurricane was perpetually hovering over the hallway, but I sure could make it downstairs without waking the kids. I pushed my hour of evening writing time to two hours, which meant less sleep but more progress.
The editor at the pamphlet company mentioned that if everything went well with this project, there would be more work in the future. I was typing away one afternoon, lost in the fun of taking a jumble of thoughts and channeling them into a clear stream of words, when a familiar noise exploded through the house:
DING-DONG-DING-DONG-DING-DONG-DING-DONG!
I scrambled to the window and threw back the curtains. For the first time, I got a look at the group, at least the backs of them. There were four of them, all girls. I pounded on the glass and shouted for them to cut it out, but they only glanced over their shoulders before running around the corner. Just as I lost sight of them, the sounds of crying floated down from upstairs. I stared at the spot on the sidewalk where I’d last seen them, wishing I had a superpower to shoot lasers from my eyes and zap people from afar.
My mind was ablaze with anger. And then, suddenly, it was cooled when a fresh, peaceful thought glided into my mind:
You should reach out to them.
It seemed to be one of those ideas inspired by God, since it definitely did not come from me. I tried to reject this bizarre message, but I couldn’t escape the sense that these kids might have been sent to my door for a reason other than testing my anger management abilities. I had a strange feeling that they would continue ringing my doorbell until I let them in, one way or another. So I disconnected the doorbell.
Whatever cosmic forces were sending these neighborhood miscreants my way, I would show them all by making this a non-issue. I gave now-wide-awake Donnell, Lane, and Lucy cookies to keep them happy for a few moments while I got to work. I stood on a stool, removed the plastic cover from the doorbell box on the wall, and carefully unwound the wire connected to the bell.
In the days that followed, it was with unadulterated joy that I listened to the scampering on the front porch, confused whispers, then the sound of retreating footsteps. I had taken my writing time back and defeated the neighborhood punks! It felt good to win at life again.
The next day, my kids were toddling around the front yard and had been given their five-minute warning that it was time go inside. I kept pulling my phone out of my pocket to glance at the time, making sure everything proceeded according to plan. Then Donnell’s voice cried, “Mommy, a bird! He’s hurt!”
I ran over to see a small bird who was flailing in the grass. I was trying to figure out what to do when Lucy crawled too close to Lane, and Lane tripped over her, which knocked them both into Donnell. Before I knew it, everyone was crying and I had no bandwidth to help this poor injured animal.
It was time for God and me to have a serious chat.
Listen, Lord, I said in my best we-need-to-talk voice. There is a lot of craziness in this house. We are not perfect people, in case you haven’t noticed. But please don’t let this be the kind of house where birds die on my lawn because I have my hands too full to take care of them.
And then I did something I always hated to do: I asked for help. I always wanted God to answer every prayer by beaming down the ability for me to conquer all adversity on my own, but it was pretty clear that that’s not what was going to happen here. So I ended the prayer by saying, I want to help this bird, but I can’t do this on my own. Please send help.
Almost immediately, the doorbell ringers appeared.
They were headed from one end of the street to the other, and their trajectory would take them right past my house. My gaze briefly met with theirs, but we all looked away. The bird flipped over as it struggled at my feet. They were getting close. I couldn’t do this alone. But every time I looked at them I could only think of all the afternoons they’d ruined for me.
They walked in front of the house, staying safely on the other side of the street, studiously avoiding looking my direction. It was about to be too late. Just before they drifted out of earshot, I gulped hard. I forced myself to shout, “Hey! Girls! I need help!” They paused and examined the situation with apprehension, perhaps assuming that this was a trap where I would finally enact my vengeance.
“There’s a bird here,” I explained. “He’s injured.”
Hesitantly, they approached my spot in the driveway. When they saw that there was indeed a small bird in front of me, they picked up speed. When they got to us, I saw that they were much younger than I’d guessed, one of them probably only eight years old.
“Aaaw, poor thing! What happened?” the youngest one asked. “I don’t know. It looks like its wing is injured.” Lucy and Lane were fighting again, but I shushed them so I could talk. “I’m Jennifer, by the way.”
“Hi, I’m Carmen. This is my sister, Megan.”
“I’m Riley.”
“I’m Sophia.”
An awkward silence filled the air as we all anticipated that the next statement would be to acknowledge that we already knew one another. I changed the subject. “So does anyone know how to help this bird? As you can see, I have my hands full.”
“We could take it back to our house and try to help it. Poor little guy!” Carmen said. “Do you have a box we could put him in?” I tried to set Lucy down so I could dig through the shelves in the garage, but she acted as if I were lowering her into molten lava. I froze in frustration, and then Megan appeared at my side.
“Hey there, you want to come with me?” her smile was so innocent and bright that Lucy happily went into her arms.
I emerged with a box a few minutes later, as well as gardening gloves to pick up the bird. When the animal was all set, Carmen ran off with it to see if her older brother could help with its care. I expected the others to leave too, but they stayed. We chatted about where they went to school and what classes they loved and hated. When I finally announced that I had to get back to work, they seemed reluctant to leave.
My writing schedule was demolished that day due to my work as bird rescuer. Part of me was silently screaming in frustration, but I admonished myself to chill out and make up for lost time tomorrow. When nap time rolled around the next day, my whole body tingled with excitement. When I took my place behind my desk I actually rubbed my hands together in anticipation, like a madman in a movie. I cracked my knuckles to prepare my hands for the awesomeness that was about to flow from my fingers, and then . . .
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
I looked out the office window to see the neighbor girls congregating on my porch, this time not hiding from my view. They could see me through a space in the curtains and were waving. They weren’t running. I stifled an exasperated sigh and went to greet them. I stood in the entryway with the door cracked as little as possible, displaying the same posture I used when the Jehovah’s Witnesses came by.
“Hi, girls, good to see you,” I said thinly.
“We wanted to update you on the bird!” Riley, the youngest one of the group, announced.
“He’s doing better,” Carmen said. “My mom says she thinks he’s going to make it.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’m happy to hear it.” I put my hand on the door in preparation for closing it.
They just stood there. There was a long silence while I waited for them to say goodbye, and they waited for . . . something else. When I couldn’t take the awkwardness any longer, I finally said what they were evidently hoping I would say: “Do you want to come in?”
They twittered excitedly. One of them did a little jump.
“Yes! Sure!” Megan said.
With my back to them as I led everyone into the kitchen, I checked the clock on the stove. On a good day, my kids might nap for two hours. If I could get these girls out in 30 minutes, I’d still have a solid chunk of time left for my work. I offered them seats at the table, moving Lucy’s high chair and pulling in my office chair so that everyone had a place.
“You want something to drink?” I asked. “I just bought this new orange tea.” They all responded with enthusiastic yeses, just as I realized that I had no clean mugs. The glass-fronted cabinet by the end of the table caught my eye. Our gleaming white wedding china sat there, never touched. We always said we’d get it out for “special occasions,” but we never seemed to find an occasion quite special enough. I looked from the cabinet to the girls, their faces open and giddy. I decided to go for it.
Each girl got a tea cup and saucer, the snow-white china lined with a simple silver pattern that was still shiny. I lifted a large serving bowl from its place in the display case and dumped in a family-sized bag of pretzels.
I set the bowl on the table in front of them. And then I didn’t know what to do.
There are lots of people in the world who naturally gravitate to kids, for whom having a gaggle of pre-teen
girls in their kitchen would be a normal activity. I was not one of those people. If I had found myself in a kitchen full of trained circus bears, I couldn’t have felt any less at ease. I stood awkwardly next to the sink, trying to think of what to say or what I could offer them next.
“Miss Jennifer, are you Catholic?” Carmen asked, looking at the Christ the Teacher icon above the couch. Which, now that I looked at it, had something—was that peanut butter?—smudged on the bottom of the frame.
“Yes,” I said, wondering why she asked. “Are you?”
“No, but my uncle knows some Catholics, and they kind of got him in trouble a while back.”
“Why?”
“Have you heard of the thing of burying a statue of St. Joseph in your yard if you want to sell your house?”
“Yes . . .” I said, not sure where she was going with this. It was an informal tradition that I’d seen a few Catholics do, usually while wrestling with whether or not they were being superstitious. Catholic bookstores sometimes sold tiny St. Joseph figurines for that purpose.
“Well, everyone told my uncle that it worked really well, but he’s not like Catholic or anything, so he didn’t know how to do it right. He found this big statue of Saint Joseph that was about as tall as I am, and he buried that in his yard one night. But the neighbors saw him doing it, and it looked like he was burying a body, so they called the cops on him.”
A laugh burst from my lungs that was so big and so unexpected that it shattered all the pent-up awkwardness within me. Still laughing, I moved to the table and eased into a seat. “Are you serious? He did what?”
The conversation was now cracked open, and waves of laughter and giggles rolled over the sounds of chatter and clinking china. The girls were so excited that they kept jumping up and raising their hands and exclaiming, “Miss Jennifer, pick me! Pick me!” When I learned that some of them had surprisingly serious stresses in their lives, I felt like pretty much the worst human being in the world for all the things I’d thought about them back when they were ringing the doorbell.
They eventually announced that they had to go. On the way out, Riley paused at the door. She turned back, her brown eyes meeting mine hopefully.
“Miss Jennifer, can we all be BFFs?” she asked.
“BFFs?” I’d heard the term but it didn’t register immediately.
“Best Friends Forever.”
My throat was so tight I could barely choke out a “yes.”
Pursue your passions, love your family, and say goodbye to guilt—pipe dream or possibility?
Work and family, individuality and motherhood, the creative life and family life—women are told constantly that they can’t have it all. One Beautiful Dream is the deeply personal, often humorous tale of what happened when one woman dared to believe that you can have it all—if you’re willing to reimagine what having it all looks like.
Jennifer Fulwiler is the last person you might expect to be the mother of six young children. First of all, she’s an introvert only child, self-described workaholic, and former atheist who never intended to have a family. Oh, and Jennifer has a blood-clotting disorder exacerbated by pregnancy that has threatened her life on more than one occasion.
One Beautiful Dream is the story of what happens when one woman embarks on the wild experiment of chasing her dreams with multiple kids in diapers. It’s the tale of learning that opening your life to others means that everything will get noisy and chaotic, but that it is in this mess that you’ll find real joy.
Jennifer’s quest takes her in search of wisdom from a cast of colorful characters, including her Ivy-League-educated husband, her Texan mother-in-law who crushes wasps with her fist while arguing with wrong number calls about politics, and a best friend who’s never afraid to tell it like it is. Through it all, Jennifer moves toward the realization that the life you need is not the life you would have originally chosen for yourself. And maybe, just maybe, it’s better that way.
Hilarious, highly relatable, and brutally honest, Jennifer’s story will spark clarity and comfort to your own tug-of-war between all that is good and beautiful about family life and the incredible sacrifice it entails. Parenthood, personal ambitions, family planning, and faith—it’s complicated. Let this book be your invitation to the unexpected, yet beautiful dream of saying yes to them all, with God’s help.
Jennifer Fulwiler is a writer, a speaker, and the host of The Jennifer Fulwiler Show airing daily on SiriusXM channel 129. She is the author of the bestselling memoir, Something Other than God, which chronicled her unlikely journey from atheism to faith. Jennifer is the co-founder of the Edel Gathering, a women’s conference that promotes spiritual renewal through good company and bad karaoke. She has been a guest on Fox and Friends, HuffPost Live, and multiple shows on the worldwide EWTN network. She lives with her husband and six children in Austin, Texas. You can connect with her at JenniferFulwiler.com.
Christianity started in Jerusalem and spread widely in the West, in Europe, and North America. In the past century, the church expanded rapidly across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Now Christianity’s geographic center of density is in the West African country of Mali—in Timbuktu. What led to the church’s vibrant growth throughout the Global South?
Explain how and where the Christian church started.
Brian Stiller: The church began in 33 AD in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-47), after Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. Peter preached and over 3,000 came to faith that day.
Describe the spread of Christianity from its humble roots.
Brian Stiller: Persecution sent many of the disciples outside of Judea, into neighboring areas, then into the wider world. For example, the Apostle Paul went into what is now Turkey and established churches, in time moving into Greece and Italy and surrounding countries. Luke, the historian, describes how the gospel was launched into the Roman world in Acts 10:1-47.
Where is Christianity declining or growing currently?
Brian Stiller: The Christian message and presence has gone through a low period, especially in Europe, over the past few decades; although there are now signs even in Europe, of resilience and growth in new and remarkable ways. In the Global South (Africa, Latin America, Asia) there’s been an explosion of faith. For example, in 1900 in Africa there were about 9 million Christians. Today that number is at 542 million. In 1949 in China there were 700,000 Christians. Today’s estimates are between 90 and 130 million Christians.
How has Bible translation influenced the growth of Christianity?
Brian Stiller: There’s nothing like having the Word of God in your own language. There have been translations over the past 2000 years, but translation activity accelerated in the mid-20th century. When you read and hear the Bible stories and passages in your own language or dialect, they more quickly take over your heart and mind. Reading what Jesus said, without having to go through a translator, is a powerful spiritual experience. The Spirit then makes the word alive: as I’m more able to apply the story, the message, the letter of instruction into my life, church, and community. It no longer is an abstraction. Instead it lives. The writer to the Hebrews says it well: “For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword…” (Hebrew 4:12).
Explain your statement, “Disallowing the Bible in an effort to quash Christianity seems to have the opposite effect.”
Brian Stiller: When the Chinese government withheld Bibles, it only served to raise the value and importance of the Bible. People would walk for miles just to hear someone read from the Bible. Imagine how precious it was to have a part or whole of the Scripture text in your own home? The more people were prevented from having a copy, the more they desired one. Also, they came to believe that something good was being withheld from them. The irony is that Amity Press in Nanjing, China, is now the largest printer of Bibles in the world. The Psalmist wondered where his help came from, and he realized ultimately it came only from the Lord (Psalm 121).
What do you mean, “The Bible text is made holy when inhabiting other tongues”?
Brian Stiller: I found an interesting parallel between Jesus’ incarnation—that is his coming in human form—and Bible translation. The Bible—from its very beginning—was written and then translated into other languages—like the incarnation—into the life and experience of people who listen and read it in their own language or dialect. Here, a contrast serves us. The Qur’an, written in Arabic, is considered by Muslims to be holy (although translated into other languages, memorizing it in its original language is regarded as essential). That’s why they’re so offended when one desecrates their holy book. For Christians, only God is holy. The Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is meant for us to hear and read in our language. It does not have to be in the language in which it was originally written. Indeed, Jesus spoke Aramaic and the New Testament writers wrote in the common Greek, Koine. Peter wrote, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23)
Having the Bible translated into my own language or dialect allows the Spirit access through my reading and hearing in ways not possible if I read or hear through a translation. Jesus alone is holy, the very one the Bible points me to.
What is it that the world finds so heart-tugging and wisdom-telling in the Bible?
Brian Stiller: Oh, that’s a question we all ask ourselves. What I know is that it just is. For example, the parables of Jesus are unique. Scholars put these in a category by themselves. One reason is that parables—stories built on local culture and experience—draw the hearer into the story itself. Read any one of them and you’ll find that it’s quite impossible to distance yourself. It’s as if Jesus places each of us in the story so we ask ourselves, “What would I do?” Read the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and consider who you are of those who walked by? (Luke 10:25-37)
Also, this is the word given by inspiration of the Spirit: the God of creation who knows us best. The Bible provides us a meta- narrative—a grand story that arcs from the beginning of human life—describing reasons for our coming into being, our moral fall, and the resulting human and ecological tragedy. That arc then finds itself in Jesus: his lifting of guilt and sin in his death and resurrection which gives final triumph over evil and death. Such a story grabs us with its truth, logic, human sense, and solution. Salted throughout are pearls of wisdom. We find understanding of our human predicament, read stories of heroes who fall yet are used by God. It’s all there. And one never seems to tire of reading it again and again. It really is daily bread: nourishment by which to live.
What is a favorite Bible passage of yours and why?
Brian Stiller: I learned to read the Bible as a child. Mother read us stories at night. And I loved hearing it read in church. Over the years I chose favorite verses, often linked to times in life when I needed counsel and guidance. But overall, my life verse comes from 1 Chronicles 12:32. David was rebuilding Israel and needed leadership. He turned to the tribe of Issachar who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” My role is in leadership, and this verse catalyzes my mind, framing what I believe the Lord has called me to be: to understand our surrounding world, to make sense of it, and then develop plans to move forward in kingdom life.
What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?
Brian Stiller: When I wake every morning, I pick up my iPhone and the Bible Gateway App pops up and gives me my verse for the day. Then it takes me to my daily Reading Plan: reading the New Testament in a year. What a marvelous help. A brilliant application in helping me be nourished daily by the Word of God.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Brian Stiller: In research for From Jerusalem to Timbuktu, both in reading from scholars and visits to many countries, I discovered that central to the amazing growth of the church in these past decades, is the Bible being translated into many languages and dialects. The Spirit takes that seed planted and nurtures it, and so it reproduces. The spread of the gospel is directly related to the spread of the Word of God.
This is the twenty-fourth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.
Just released: A Book of Prayers for Kids by Mel Lawrenz (a perfect Easter gift for the kids you know and love).
The first part of the Ten Commandments describe what a right relationship with God looks like, and the second set of commandments describe the way to live rightly with other people.
The fifth commandment is a call to honor our fathers and our mothers. For some reason we sometimes only think of this as small children obeying what their parents tell them to do, but we should also see in this commandment a mandate that grown up children properly and respectfully take care of their aging parents. There was, after all, no welfare system to take care of needy people at that time. The family was the basic structure for stability and support. The word “honor” comes from the Hebrew word for glory, which has the sense of weightiness. To honor people is to intentionally regard their God-given worth—no matter what condition they are in. For young children, that means obedience; for grownups, care. Left to our sinful nature, we would give regard to others only as they are useful to us or to society. But honor, respect, and dignity flows from God’s having created each of us in his image. We have a moral obligation, in other words, to respect and look after others—especially those in our own families.
The sixth commandment forbids murder. There are several different Hebrew words meaning “to kill.” The one used in the sixth commandment points to intentional and violent killing, which is why most English translations use the word “murder.” To justifiably defend oneself is not murder, whereas breaking into someone’s house and killing them, or reacting in rage to someone you hate, is. Obviously, there is a lot of killing in the Old Testament. Some is warfare, some is animal sacrifice, and some is capital punishment. The question for us, as we seek to live the Bible, is how the prohibition of murder applies to us today. We are not like the Hebrews who went into the Promised Land and conquered it. We don’t exercise capital punishment as tribes, but rather live in nations with laws. Our worship includes no animal sacrifice. There are honest debates among believers regarding the ethics of things like capital punishment today. And there always must be deep spiritual searching regarding the difference between war that is justified and what kind is not.
The seventh commandment prohibits adultery, which is sexual violation of the marriage covenant. The commandment is negative, but the principle is positive. Sexual union is the physical bond matching the covenant bond of a marriage. This is essential for the building of stable societies. Given the many storms of life, we need marriages that are strongly formed and faithfully lived-out. This is also an expression of right relationship with God, which is why adultery is a sin against people, but also against God. King David, after sinning with Bathsheba, speaks to God out of his brokenness in Psalm 51, saying, among other things, “against you… have I sinned” (Ps. 51:4). When married people stray whenever they want they are weakening all of their relationships, and weakening the fabric of society. We need to be faithful in many different ways: marriage is one of the foundations.
The eighth commandment says we must not steal. The verb has the sense secrecy to it. Our understanding of theft is naturally based on our understanding of ownership, which varies from one society to the next. Socialism minimizes personal ownership, capitalism maximizes it. The biblical perspective is unique. First, God is the owner of all things, because he is the creator of all things. So when we violate our bodies or those of others, we are taking something away that belongs to God. No parent can say, “I’ll beat my kid whenever I want to,” because the child does not belong to the parent as a possession. On the other hand, Scripture does teach that God gives us resources and objects and property as a stewardship, and so it is possible for someone else to steal from us. The sin of theft is wrong not just because the victim is hurt, but because God’s order of all things is violated.
The ninth commandment tells us not to lie, or, literally, “you shall not respond against your neighbor falsely.” It is wrong to lie at any time, but the specific idea of this commandment is that we are not to speak in such a way that we misrepresent or distort the truth about others. Sadly, we witness this on a daily basis. There are a multitude of reasons why people lie or misrepresent other people, including personal gain, carelessness, or outright malice. Lying about others creates deep injury, and it absolutely fouls the character of the person who misrepresents others.
Finally, the tenth commandment draws a line one step back from stealing. Coveting is a deep-set attitude in which we long to have something that does not belong to us. This is not merely the simple ache of wanting something, but the sour spirit of obsession about what other people have and we do not. Jealousy is a corrupt state of the heart. Because it is internal, it may be secret, but it likely affects our actions and relationships.
[If you believe this series will be helpful, this is the perfect time to forward this to a friend, a group, or a congregation, and tell them they too may sign up for the weekly emails here]
Mel Lawrenz (@MelLawrenz) trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large. He has a PhD in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel is the author of 18 books, including How to Understand the Bible—A Simple Guide and Spiritual Influence: the Hidden Power Behind Leadership (Zondervan, 2012). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.
How does every part of Scripture’s 66 books written over a period of 1500 years cohesively reveal the glory of Christ? How do the Bible’s many multi-layered stories, characters, events relate together and connect to Jesus?
Stephen Wellum: The Bible is God’s Word written through the agency of human authors that unveils God’s glorious plan of redemption centered in Christ (2 Tim 3:15-17; 2 Pet 1:19-20; Heb 1:1-2). As God’s Word, the Bible is fully authoritative and true in all that it affirms. And because God has spoken through the agency of human authors, the authors utilize various literary conventions tied to history. Yet they do so in such a way that God communicates his intention perfectly, faithfully, and sufficiently through these authors over time.
How should the Bible best be read?
Stephen Wellum: The Bible should be read according to what it claims for itself and what it actually is as an unfolding revelation over time. As for its claim, the Bible is God’s Word written and as such, it must be read as a unified, coherent, and true communication from God.
Also, since God has communicated to us over time through human authors, we read Scripture according to the intention of those authors as they write in their time. This is why we pay careful attention to the Bible’s literary forms and how the authors have written their books as unified works. For example to understand the book of Exodus, we must read what Moses has said in Exodus and in his entire work, namely the Pentateuch. This is what we call the close context. But since Scripture is written over time, we must also read biblical books in terms of what preceded them (the continuing context) because no book comes to us in a vacuum. But we don’t stop there. Ultimately we must read each book in terms of the entire canon, from Genesis to Revelation (canonical context). Unless Scripture is read this way we’re not really reading it according to what it is.
The title of your book is, Christ from Beginning to End. Explain the title and then a few unique features of your book.
Stephen Wellum: The title echoes a beautiful verse at the end of our Bibles, when the Lord Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13). “Christ from beginning to end” is a nice way of capturing the truth that the universe, our triune God’s plan of salvation, and our very lives are through and for the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 1:15-23).
One of our priorities in this project was to teach but also reinforce the Bible’s internal covenantal structure. So we structured our book to teach and reinforce the Bible’s own internal divisions. For example, “Noah: A Boat Full of Life,” “Moses: A Mountain Full of Smoke,” and “Jesus: A Cup Full of Blood.” We hope this imagery and story-telling helps project the story onto the reader’s imagination and heart.
What do you mean by the “full story of Scripture reveals the full glory of Christ?”
Stephen Wellum: By this subtitle our point is that one cannot rightly understand who Jesus is and what he’s done for us apart from the entire storyline of the Bible.
Our Lord Jesus does not appear from nowhere; after all he is the divine Son (John 1:1-2)! Instead, Jesus is presented to us from within the categories, content, and framework of the Old Testament. One cannot grasp, then, who Jesus is apart from the triune God of creation, the promise-plan of God that unfolds through the biblical covenants, and the various typological patterns that anticipate his coming to this world and accomplishing our redemption.
In fact, our Lord himself reminds us of this truth. As Jesus walked with the two downcast men on the way to Emmaus, he didn’t just say: “Here I am.” Instead, starting with Moses and the Prophets he explained how the entire Old Testament anticipated him (Luke 24:25-27)! In fact, just think of how Matthew’s Gospel begins. Who is Jesus? He’s “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1). Why does Matthew begin here? Because to understand who Jesus is one must place him in the Bible’s storyline. Or think about how Jesus’ work is described by his name: “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21). In the context of the Old Testament, this is a clear allusion to the promise of the new covenant (Jer 31:34) which tells us that this is why Jesus has come. But apart from the full story of Scripture, Jesus’ person and work would not make sense.
What do you mean when you write, “What if the Bible’s many characters, events, and places are not in the way of getting to know Jesus but are the way to know him?”
Stephen Wellum: This statement is another way of saying that nothing in Scripture is accidental. Since Scripture is God’s Word that unfolds his eternal plan of redemption, everything from creation, God’s rest on the seventh day, the creation of Adam and us as image-bearers, to Eden as a Garden-temple sanctuary, to the establishment of prophets, priests, and kings, etc., is for a purpose. No doubt, we only come to know how the Bible’s characters, events, and places fit in God’s plan by carefully reading the story, but they’re there for a reason. What we try to demonstrate, by a careful reading of Scripture, and tracing out the Bible’s own presentation of itself, is how the Bible’s characters, events, and places lead us to Jesus.
How could the variety of authors of the Old Testament books cohesively write about Jesus 1400 years before he walked the earth?
Stephen Wellum: The answer is that they could not cohesively do so if the authors were simply writing on their own apart from the sovereign superintendence of the triune God. But Scripture is no mere human book; it’s God’s inspired Word which unfolds his eternal plan. Given that God knows the end from the beginning, he’s able to reveal where his plan is going through a variety of authors. Yet, it’s important to remember that since God reveals his plan over time, earlier authors probably don’t know all the implications of where the story is going. However, as God continues to act and reveal, and later authors build on earlier authors, God’s plan and promises gain more clarity, which is what Peter says occurred in 1 Peter 1:10-12. As the Prophets received God’s revelation through the biblical covenants, they wrestled with the “time and circumstances” of the events surrounding the coming of Christ.
What do you mean by promise-fulfillment and typology as two ways to see that the Bible is a unified book centered in Jesus Christ?
Stephen Wellum: The promise-fulfillment theme focuses on God’s covenantal promises that over time take on greater clarity and ultimately reach their fulfillment in Christ. Beginning in Genesis 3:15, God promises that a “seed of the woman” will reverse the effects of Adam’s sin. Yet, this promise is enigmatic. But as the covenants unfold, the promise takes on greater definition so that we begin to see who this person—seed of Abraham, true Israel, David’s greater son, etc., is. In this way, promise-fulfillment is a central means by which the Bible is Christ-centered.
Typology is a feature of God’s revelation that reminds us that God has so planned various people, events, and institutions to foreshadow the person and work of Christ. For example, the temple and priesthood function under the old covenant for a certain reason, but they also prophetically foreshadow the need for a greater temple and high priest. Typology is an important way God has amazingly and graciously taught us and prepared us for Christ.
You group sections of the Old Testament to describe the ways Jesus is revealed: creation, fall, redemption, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the Prophets. Briefly explain.
Stephen Wellum: Let’s focus on creation, fall, and the promise of redemption. We begin with creation because this is where the Bible’s story begins. That may seem a bit trite but it’s of profound significance. In creation, we’re introduced to who God is, who we are and our role in creation, the headship of Adam, and other significant truths that are important in this context but which also point beyond themselves to their ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
In creation we learn that we were created good, which soon changes in the fall (Genesis 3). We also quickly learn that unless God acts in grace we’re without hope. God’s rest in creation and our enjoyment of his presence in Eden, both lost in the fall, anticipate, because of God’s promise (Gen 3:15) that God will provide someone from the human race who will restore rest, presence, and defeat sin and death.
Beginning in creation and seeing the effects of sin in all of its disastrous aspects, establishes the nature of our human problem before God and why Jesus must come. It also anticipates something of what our Lord’s work will accomplish: namely, to pay for our sin before God and ultimately to usher in a new creation. As for Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, what’s important to stress is that it’s through the biblical covenants that God reveals his plan and establishes the typological patterns which alone make sense of who Jesus is and his glorious reconciling work.
What do you want the book to achieve in the lives of its readers?
Stephen Wellum: First, to know God’s Word better so that we understand better how the parts fit with the whole and are led to greater appreciation for Scripture. Second, to be amazed at the wisdom of our triune God as we reflect on his glorious plan of redemption. Third, to be renewed in our understanding of the gospel with full conviction of its truthfulness which translates to greater devotion to our calling in this life to know, love, obey, and enjoy God and to make him known.
What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?
Stephen Wellum: Bible Gateway is a time-tested and indispensable tool for getting God’s Word into the hands of God’s people.
Barbara Bush, 92, the wife of former US President George H. W. Bush and mother of former US president George W. Bush, died at her home with family by her side April 17. Her funeral April 21 at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, was attended by former US presidents Clinton and Obama, the former prime ministers of the UK (Sir John Major) and Canada (The Right Honorable Brian Mulroney), ambassadors, politicians, and sports celebrities.
Addressing the congregation, son Jeb Bush said, “The last time I was with her, I asked her about dying; was she ready to go, was she sad? Without missing a beat, she said, ‘Jeb, I believe in Jesus and he is my savior. I don’t want to leave your dad but I know I’ll be in a beautiful place.'”
The church pipe organ played the hymns: Nearer My God, Praise to the Lord, In the Garden, Amazing Grace, and Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. And Barbara Bush’s granddaughters read from Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and 2 Corinthians:
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
Life is full of surprises, both good and bad. In this 5-week online Bible study you’ll tackle the topic of how to find hope and trust in God when the unexpected happens. Sign up now to get started right away! You’ll get access to the companion study videos for FREE – all 5 sessions of teaching videos with Christine, releasing a new one every week! Register now and get the schedule, free downloads, and all the great bonuses.
By Christine Caine
God had placed the desire to be married inside Amanda at a young age, and she had the expectation she would be. So, year after year, she had trusted God. Yet, year after year, she remained single. Eventually, it became hard to reconcile her desires with God’s timing. Ultimately, that was the disappointment she couldn’t get through alone.
God wants us to believe and understand that his promises don’t have expiration dates. They aren’t like passports or gym memberships. They aren’t like the condiments in the fridge or the food in the pantry. Our heavenly Father has given us a book full of his promises that have no expiration dates—and he will always make good on his promises.
Holding to our faith—even in the face of deep disappointment—is critical. Making God’s promises bigger than our disappointments is essential. Getting into his Word and letting it get into us brings our hearts back to life. Worshiping him opens the door for the Holy Spirit to encourage us and heal us so we can trust again. Learning how to change our perspective through steps like these helps us transition from fearing the unexpected to trusting God through it.
Do we trust that God is who he says he is?
Do we trust that God will do what he says he will do?
Do we trust that God is working all things together for our good and his glory?
Do we trust that he who promised is faithful?
Until we change our perspective, we won’t see things clearly, and we’ll even miss God ministering directly to us—much like the two disciples who walked together in sorrow along the Emmaus road (read Luke 24:13–35).
The two disciples, who were leaving Jerusalem heartbroken and bitterly disappointed, had followed Jesus and trusted him, only to be shocked and disillusioned by his crucifixion. All their hope had been in Jesus, and how he was the one to redeem Israel. But their dreams had died on the cross with Jesus.
These disciples had been with Jesus the week before his crucifixion and were full of hope. But when he was crucified, they lost all hope and headed back home to Emmaus. Their world came apart because the events did not unfold as they had anticipated. Even with all the rumors of the resurrection, they still did not believe Jesus was alive.
Their journey through disappointment and disillusionment to renewed hope is often the same path we follow:
Jesus began talking to them, but they could not recognize his voice (see Luke 24:16). How many times does he speak to our hearts, yet we’re so lost in our own concerns that we cannot hear him?
Their eyes were downcast (see Luke 24:17). They were crushed and couldn’t even look up to see the fellow traveler walking alongside them. As long as we look down at our circumstances, and not up at him, we’ll miss what it is that we need to see—what he wants us to see.
They asked the only one who really knew what had happened if he had any idea of the disappointing events (see Luke 24:18). When we finally ask God what he thinks, we open the door for the clarity only he can bring.
He brought them back to the Word (see Luke 24:27). Jesus knew the promises of God and explained how those promises would be fulfilled in a way that would change the world. He told them that a new kingdom was at hand. It is always the Word that changes our perspective from disappointment to hope.
Finally, they saw him in the midst of their disappointment (see Luke 24:31-32). How powerful it is when we can look up and see God, even when our circumstances are ongoing.
They got up at once (see Luke 24:33-34). Their wonder came back. When our hope is renewed, we are strengthened to move forward.
Jesus always walks with us through our disappointment. Through our heartaches. Leading us to recover our wonder. Leading us to something better ahead. He is the one who helps us remember that although the unexpected happened to us, he’ll never leave us.
Jesus was there for me in every unexpected disappointment.
He was there for Amanda.
And he is there for you. Right now. Wherever you are.
We all experience disappointments. All of us have expectations, whether big or small, that have not been met:
Friends break their word.
Our marriage ends.
A colleague betrays us.
Our kids don’t turn out like we hoped.
We never have the child we long for.
We never find our soul mate.
We don’t get the promotion.
We lose our retirement fund.
A dream turns into a nightmare.
We disappoint ourselves by saying or doing something we regret.
But despite how we feel, all the disappointment in the world will never change the promises of God, the reality of Jesus, or his destiny for our lives. None of our broken dreams, personal heartaches, or shattered plans can stop his desire for us to fulfill our purpose. The disappointment is real. The consequences can be devastating.
To keep moving forward, we must learn to be resilient. We must learn to trust, like a little child. We must learn to manage our disappointments well, so we can hop on another ride full of renewed hope. Otherwise, while we’re stuck in the disappointment behind us, we’ll miss the adventure God is setting before us.
Is it possible to have peace in an uncertain world? To not only expect the unexpected but embrace it?
Most of us want to have life under control. But God wants us to anticipate the unexpected with a faith deeply rooted in his goodness. He wants us to know that because he is in control, we don’t have to be.
In Unexpected, beloved author Christine Caine helps us walk into the life God has for us—unknowns and all. Using dramatic examples from her own journey, Christine offers real-life strategies and biblical inspiration to help us move from fear and worry about ourselves to hope and trust in God. As we learn new ways to manage disappointment, strengthen our hearts, and build our faith, we can enjoy a new adventure with God that is more fulfilling than any day we spend trying to anticipate what will happen next.
Stepping into our God-given destiny means stepping into the unknown, but we can embrace that calling because God knows it already. Nothing in our lives takes God by surprise. So even in the midst of personal upheaval, relational challenges, financial stresses, family transitions, career disappointments, and chaotic world affairs, we can expect God to be good and do good. What other expectation do we need to have? Listen to God’s dare to trust him in every unknown of your life today.
Visit ChristineCaine.com to see how you can receive Christine’s pre-order bonuses.
Christine Caine is an Australian born, Greek blooded, lover of Jesus, activist, international speaker, and author of the bestselling book Unashamed. Together with her husband, Nick, she founded the anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an organization designed to celebrate every woman’s passion, purpose, and potential. Christine and Nick make their home in Southern California with their daughters Catie and Sophia.
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Many peoples and communities around the world will be celebrating Earth Day this weekend, including churches and other religious gatherings. Those who follow Jesus Christ have a unique opportunity during such an observance to point people to Scripture—to show how the Bible is imbued not only with celebrations of God’s creation, but also with creation’s celebration of its Creator.
In theological terms, you may have heard the phrase ‘general revelation’ or ‘natural revelation,’ which is, in short, knowledge gleaned about God by our observations of the natural world—his expressions of love, creation, power, beauty. Though a secular holiday, on Earth Day Christ-followers are called to remember that we’re care-takers of that which God has given us. We’re called to remember that we should treat the Earth—soil, water, and life—like the gift it is. And then, yes, to realize that it’s possible to misuse this gift and to take it for granted as we’re so apt to do even with the unparalleled treasure of God’s freely-given salvation.
So, far from being purely political, Earth Day is a reminder that the least we could do is open our eyes, learn something about God, and see how his creations point to his Word and vice-versa. Every aspect of life can draw us into the Word. Jesus speaks to us through Scripture and creation.
Here are 10 verses you might read and contemplate throughout the weekend that sing the Creator’s praises in relation to his creation.
1. John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. — John 1:3 (KJV)
2. Isaiah 42:5
This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: — Isaiah 42:5 (NIV)
3. Psalm 96:11-12
Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it roar! Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate! Then all the trees of the forest too will shout out joyfully — Psalm 96:11-12 (CEB)
4. Job 12:7-10
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. — Job 12:7-10 (ESV)
5. Romans 1:20
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. — Romans 1:20 (NLT)
6. Psalm 95:4-5
In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land.— Psalm 95:4-5 (NKJV)
7. Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. —Hebrews 11:3 (NIV)
8. Isaiah 24:4-6
The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.—Isaiah 24:4-6 (NRSV)
9. Ezekiel 34:2-3
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. — Ezekiel 34:2-3 (NIV)
10. Psalm 104:24-25
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. — Psalm 104:24-25 (ESV)
Editor’s Note: Jack Deere’s new memoir isEven in Our Darkness. The book tells Jack’s story of finding friendship with God in the midst of pain, grief, and loss.
Two Scriptures that I rely on daily are Lamentations 3:22-23 and 3:33. The NIV translates Lam. 3:33 as, “For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” This translation can be a little confusing. It’s like saying that a father never willingly disciplines his child. But the verse before says that God does grieve us (3:32). The Hebrew text of Lam. 3:33 actually says, “For he [the Lord] does not afflict or grieve the children of men from his heart.” Though God sometimes hurts me, the hurting is not the desire of his heart. The hurt turns out to be necessary for my heart, though I don’t usually see the necessity of the affliction until the affliction has become a memory with no sting in it.
So here’s how this verse helps me. All of this present, painful roller coaster ride that I talk about in Even in Our Darkness comes from God. No doubt about that. It’s not an accident from some part of the universe that he leaves free to run on its own. But instead of thinking of him being mad at me, I think of him being a little proud of me, maybe. At least I have the opportunity to make him proud. And that’s why good fathers consistently discipline their sons, not to have sons they can love (good fathers already love their sons), but to have sons they can be proud of.
Lam. 3:22-23 says that God’s expressions of his unfailing love and compassion are new each day. So now, I wake up looking for new displays of God’s compassion and unfailing love. Although each day comes with its own troubles, if I look for the new, daily mercies I find that the mercies overrule the trouble. I’ve never been so peaceful or able to laugh in a storm as I am today.
One of the good things about riding this roller coaster is that my eyes have learned to see the new mercies of each day. And seeing mercy so frequently makes me more grateful than I ever remember being.
Bio: Jack Deere, is a writer and lecturer who speaks throughout the world. Formerly he was an assistant professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary for more than ten years, until he was fired in 1987 for reversing his stance on the gifts of the Holy Spirit—he had come to believe that gifts such as healing and prophecy are accessible today. This experience became the basis of his bestselling books, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit and Surprised by the Voice of God. Deere then spent four years with John Wimber at the Vineyard Christian fellowship in Anaheim California, and went on to pastor other churches. Jack and his wife Leesa currently live in St. Louis. They are the parents of Stephen, Alese, and the late Scott Deere.
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.
By Jennifer Fulwiler
They were headed from one end of the street to the other, and their trajectory would take them right past my house. My gaze briefly met with theirs, but we all looked away. The bird flipped over as it struggled at my feet. They were getting close. I couldn’t do this alone. But every time I looked at them I could only think of all the afternoons they’d ruined for me.
By Christine Caine
Their journey through disappointment and disillusionment to renewed hope is often the same path we follow:
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