Mother Teresa said, «to have courage for whatever comes in life–everything lies in that.» When people think about courage, they often think about those who put their lives on the line for us every day, like first responders, firefighters, or police officers. But there are so many others who quietly endure, with steadfast courage, whatever comes their way in life. These people are like the anawhim in the Old Testament–the good, kind people whom v ...
In Revelation 21-22, John offered a resplendent portrayal of a new Jerusalem without a temple, in which he seemed to reference the final chapters of Ezekiel. The puzzling issue for interpreters is why John chose to utilize Ezekiel's temple vision if he wanted to dispense with the temple. Andrea Robinson delves into the complex relationship between these two visions of heaven and earth, examining parallels between Revelation 21-22 and Ezekie ...
How can we find our way through the complexities of life in the twenty-first century? Many Christians are familiar with the pointed directives of the Ten Commandments, and many will regularly read Proverbs for bite-sized pieces of God's wisdom. When we study Proverbs within the framework of the Ten Commandments, we hear both parts of God's Word speaking in ways that are refreshingly practical and eminently memorable. Wise shows how the ...
In A Mirror is a thought-provoking introduction to God's salvation, reflecting on the the epic story that has evoked many mythologies about good and evil portrayed in the story of Adam and Eve, and ending with the redemption and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By a more concise account to the principles of salvation, the book lays the foundation to the elements of destiny, desire, knowledge, shame, sin, the cross, death, power, prayer, praise ...
The Letter of James is perhaps needed more than ever today. In this commentary, Hart argues that the epistle is indeed the work of James of Jerusalem, «the brother of the Lord,» that it was an encyclical letter, and that its chief concern was to combat a distorted version of Paul's gospel. It is a work with a singular purpose: to bring the churches back to the most basic teachings of Jesus. In its defense of orthopraxy as the primary Christ ...
The summons to live a radical life for God has led us away from doing the very basic things he has commanded. Instead of changing the world, our Lord Jesus calls us to change the way we approach relationships. Specifically, he challenges us to pursue reconciliation. Unreconciled: The New Norm invites Christians, especially those who are busy seeking to do great things for a great God, to remember the command «to go and be reconciled» and to rene ...
This work is the first to address the living conditions of the mentally ill from the standpoint of social justice. It is the first for religion to partner with the psychiatric field from a spiritual vantage point to improve the lives of those afflicted with medical, social, and spiritual maladies. It is written by someone who has lived with the challenges of a marginalized human being, someone who has insights that no one in the mainstream has e ...
The extraordinary will come through the regular practice of the ordinary. This holds true for so many things in life–including the work of gospel-ministry. The world will know the risen and exalted Lord when his people commit anew to the seemingly ordinary work of making peace. This devotional is an extended reflection on Paul's Letter to Philemon. Readers will be both moved and instructed in their call to serve as God's peacemakers. T ...
Have you ever read (or tried to read) the Bible and wondered if it makes any sense? Often, when we read about God's plan for the world in the Bible, we are confused and uncertain about what he is actually doing. We read the books (or parts of them) that we find in the Bible, attempt to piece together the different names and events, and often do so without clarity of understanding, or any concept of the historical situation and/or Bible char ...
