One of my favorite passages in the entire Bible is Psalm 119. The longest single chapter in Scripture by a wide margin, this psalm is one of praise for God’s Word. This acrostic poem, built upon the Hebrew alphabet, puts the blessing of Scripture on display. David, its author, wanted all who read, sang, and spoke these words to know the goodness of God’s Word for all of life.
Continue readingWhile the Bible doesn’t say anything about observing the tradition of Advent, this tradition has existed within the global Christian church for centuries. It is nearly as old as the church itself, with the earliest mentions of the tradition happening as early as 380 AD at the Council of Saragossa. While that council was responding to a belief and practice that had migrated from traditional Christianity, the longstanding tradition of observing a time of waiting for the celebration of the incarnation has remained a profoundly meaningful and beloved tradition that has endured throughout the centuries.
Even though the word “Advent” is not found in the Bible, the message of the Advent season pervades both the Old and the New Testaments, as observant Jews wait for their Messiah over the centuries. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible includes many topics that are useful for creating Advent-themed studies. In this article, we’ll look at using the TCR to build one or multiple studies during this Advent season.
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I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. (John 1:32–34)
John the Baptist’s reference to the dove has become a symbol of the Holy Spirit. We see the dove imprinted in stained glass windows in church buildings and we see pictures and paintings of doves in Christian literature and art.
The dove is a very shy bird—a wild bird. You cannot get close to a dove without it flying away. The dove is gentle, loving, and peaceful. It barely makes a sound—only a soft and sweet “coo, coo.” You probably won’t find a dove where there are lots of people or lots of traffic. You will more likely see a dove in a park where there are trees or outside of town.
Continue readingZondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is pleased to announce the release of The New Testament for Everyone, Third Edition, an updated translation of the New Testament by renowned biblical scholar and author N.T. Wright. It is also available for the first time as an audio book, featuring Wright as narrator.
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By Jay Hewitt
Editor’s Note: After receiving a devastating brain cancer diagnosis, Jay Hewitt made the momentous decision to compete in an IRONMAN triathlon while undergoing cancer treatment. This post, adapted from his book I Am Weak, I Am Strong, talks about the courage he found from a supportive community of believers to press on as he prepared for the 140.6-mile race.
This is how IRONMAN’s historic, first-ever full-distance and virtual triathlon worked: athletes from all over the world would register with IRONMAN for the race, download the official app, and sync it with an approved sports watch that would track distance, elevation, speed, and time.
It was each athlete’s responsibility to plan their own 140.6-mile course, taking into account both traffic and elevation change; essentially, you couldn’t plan a downhill course. Also, each athlete would have to figure out how to set up aid stations along the way so they could refill their water bottles and grab some nutrition.
By Ann Voskamp
Eucharist [thanksgiving] is the state of the perfect man.
Eucharist is the life of paradise. Eucharist is the
only full and real response of man to God’s creation,
redemption, and gift of heaven.
Alexander Schmemann
The face of Jesus flashes. Jesus, the God-Man with His own termination date. Jesus, the God-Man who came to save me from prisons of fear and guilt and depression and sadness. With an expiration of less than twelve hours, what does Jesus count as all most important?
By Ed and Lisa Young
The problem of pain is perhaps the most profound question many of us raise against Christianity. How could a good God—a loving God—allow so much pain and suffering in the world?
All God would have to do is move the geological plates a few inches and we wouldn’t have tsunamis or earthquakes. All he would have to do is eradicate the cells that attack our bodies and cause cancer and other horrendous diseases. Why doesn’t he do those things? Why doesn’t God stop it all? How can we trust God, considering how painful life is? How could our pain have any significance?
By Dr. David Jeremiah
As followers of Christ, we are offered the promise of heaven: a glorious home for believers of all generations to be united with the Father and each other. To imagine the beauty, peace, and majesty of heaven is a wonderful mental activity, as we turn our minds away from the pain and tribulation of this world and dwell on the joy to come in God’s realm.
At the same time, Christians are not called to spend their days only looking upward. Though we should set our minds on “things above” (Colossians 3:2), what about our responsibilities to God and each other today?
Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is pleased to announce the release of two New International Version (NIV) Bibles designed to help men and women navigate the challenges of today’s society – Flourish – The NIV Bible for Women and Rooted – The NIV Bible for Men.
Continue readingBy Rabbi Jason Sobel
In John 2:1-12, we see Jesus (Yeshua) performing his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. The host ran out of wine, and at his mother’s prompting, Jesus asked the servants to fill six water jars with water. When the master of the banquet tasted the water, it had been turned into the finest wine.
At first, this miracle may not seem too important in comparison to some of Jesus’s other miracles, but Jewish weddings are something to behold. The fact that the Messiah’s first miracle occurred during a wedding points to the abundance and blessing that come from our relationship with the Messiah Yeshua. His changing the water into wine was not merely a random act of kindness; rather, it reflected and metaphorically fulfilled the many Old Testament scriptures that speak of God’s people, the proverbial bride, and the Bridegroom to come—Jesus himself.
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