Keyword: biblestudy
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Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho over 1,000 years before Jesus was born, and somehow this Gentile sex worker ended up in the genealogy of Jesus himself as recorded in Matthew 1:5: “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.” Joshua 2 reports that a couple of Israelite men (Israel = God’s chosen people) showed up to scope out the city of Jericho, which God told them to overtake in an upcoming battle. They go to a prostitute’s house (ummm…) near the entrance to the city and meet Rahab. She helps the men who come to...
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In the first part of this article, we noted that God has created everything. Nothing exists without Him. This position is clearly supported in the Scriptures just as the case for His omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent nature is also supported. These are matters which are beyond question if one studies and accepts the Scriptures responsibly. All that being so, it’s tempting to feel that if an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God really exists, then evil should not. If God is who the Bible claims He is, then how does evil fit in? This awkward truce of disparate truths is not...
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Part 1: An Apparent Contradiction of Logic An unsettling question may arise when one ponders the implications of John 1:3 which states, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” That unsettling question is, “Did God create evil?” Let’s step back a few paces to get a big-picture view. After each sequence of bringing the heavens and earth into existence in Genesis chapter 1, God considered His creative work to be good. Over and over, it is repeated, “And God saw that it was good.” The point is...
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Barren women dominate the biblical narrative, and by no means are these women perfect. Sarai, Abraham’s wife, displayed unbelief, impatience, anger, and disrespect after waiting a lifetime for children. Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, waited twenty years to have a son. Leah and Rachel, sisters, married to Jacob, spent years in competition and felt deep envy towards one another. Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was taunted for years by Peninnah and experienced depression. Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah, and Samson’s mother, wife to Manoah, both stood firm in their faith even when their husbands doubted God’s plans. The Shunammite woman begged...
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“Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with” (Proverbs 17:12-14).
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You might not think of MIT as a place for Bible school, but the college is hosting a deep dive into the scriptures.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology houses a Rainbow Lounge, run by the school’s LGBTQ+ Services. The department describes itself as “an intercultural campus resource for diverse gender, romantic, and sexual identities.”Every Thursday, LBGTQ+ Services teams with Harvard University for a Christian devotion.The MIT/Harvard Queer Bible Study sign-up page welcomes participants thusly:Hi there! We’re so excited that you’re interested in joining us for Bible study this spring. Through a careful and generous engagement with the Gospel of Mark, we...
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A bandleader at Leesburg High School in Florida resigned amid an investigation after he was accused of operating a 'cult-like' group for students that masqueraded as a Bible study group. Gabriel Fielder would allegedly invite teens to his 13-acre farm, on the outskirts of Leesburg, 40 miles north west of Orlando, where the high schoolers would be forced to do manual labor to prepare for, what Fielder claimed, was the approaching apocalypse. The bandleader also reportedly ordered the teens to pay tithes - compulsory donations made to a church - to his group, known as The Elder Council, reports The...
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Marina Hofman, Ph.D., is a homeschool mom to a sweet 3-year-old daughter, Willow, and shares with us how the inspiring examples of mothers in the Bible are models of courage and faith amid opposition and teach us about faith, life, and parenting. She is also a Bible professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, award-winning author of Women In The Bible Small Group Bible Study, and President of Moms for America’s Palm Beach County chapter. JF: Tell us about the miracle of your daughter, Willow?
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Thanks for joining our study. Today we begin a two-part series on what the Bible says about Satan in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and next week in the New Testament. First, let's review the various names attributed to "the being" responsible for introducing evil into the world and who is the personification of evil. Most often, he is called Satan or the Devil. A deceiver whose goal is to separate you from God and trick you into sinning against others, yourself, and by default, the Almighty. In the commentary "What Are Some of the Different Titles of Satan?" author...
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Thanks for joining our Palm Sunday Bible study. I am blessed to write about this profound event for the third year and will repeat an amusing personal story. Up until my early twenties, I thought Palm Sunday was about glorifying palm trees, and Good Friday was a Friday in spring that was "good." My theological excuse is that having been born and raised Jewish, no one ever told me the real meaning of both days, and I never bothered to ask. Now, my prior ignorance appears to be more the norm. With church attendance and Bible study declining, millions don't...
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News Flash: The first 56 volumes are compiled into a book titled “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible.”Thanks for joining us. Today we study a Bible passage encompassed in the lyrics of a 1960’s classic rock song. Could it be, “Ebony and Ivory living together in perfect harmony side by side on my piano keyword, oh Lord, why don’t we?” No, because that 1982 song is not the Word of God, but a nice sentiment nonetheless.The correct answer is The Byrds’ 1965’s hit, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” based on Old Testament verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. So here is...
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Source: Museum of the BibleThe Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., will celebrate its fifth birthday on November 17. During the 2017 opening weekend, my husband and I toured the massive 430,000 square-foot museum. We were impressed by the gargantuan brick exterior, 40-foot tall bronze doors with Biblical inscriptions, and modern interior design. Moreover, there were interactive galleries, thoughtful and inspiring displays, and hundreds of artifacts that embodied the museum’s slogan: “Inviting all people to engage with the transformative power of the Bible.” But we noted one glaring omission: The Shroud of Turin was not referenced or pictured anywhere...
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Thanks for joining us. Today we study a heartwarming Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) story about Hannah, who could not conceive a child when people thought having a “barren womb” meant that God did not favor you. Consequently, women plagued by that problem were disparaged. Meanwhile Hannah’s husband Elkanah, had another wife named Peninnah who bore children. Scripture describes the contentious relationship between Hannah and “her rival” Peninnah:“Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her...
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It’s Super Study Sunday! Praise God for the Vol. 100 timing — a heavenly confluence sponsored by God’s universe (Salesforce ad) and those He created (Doritos ad). This super day requires super thanks to Townhall and loyal readers of all faiths. A special salute to my mighty band of core commenters whose knowledge of The Word enhances each lesson. Finally, hail to the husband for his often thoughtful theological contributions. Today’s Scripture about Christ’s burial Shroud reflects SignFromGod — the ministry I lead with its board of Shroud experts. Our mission is education about this cloth known as the Shroud...
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Thanks for joining us, and a special welcome to first-time readers.Today we study 2 Samuel 11, the story of David and Bathsheba, one of the most famous and dramatic chapters in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). The chapter has a movie-worthy plotline involving murder, sexual submission, royal power, deceit, and evil intentions. The main characters are brave, loyal, beautiful, selfish, and sinful. Ultimately, the Lord had a starring role concerning the consequences of sins committed in chapter 11 by King David, as reflected in the last verse: “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:27). (Note...
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Thanks for joining us today. The prophecy “teased” in the headline is the prophetic prayer of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. In my NIV study Bible, the prayer’s subhead is “Zechariah’s Song” and notes, “This hymn is called Benedictus, (‘Praise be’) because the opening word in the Latin Vulgate translation is ‘Benedictus.’”This prophetic “song” — recorded in Luke 1: 68-74 — immediately follows the birth of John the Baptist. Let’s read it now and then discuss why Zechariah’s prayer is a great New Testament prophecy that I would argue does not receive enough attention: “‘Praise be to the...
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Thanks for joining us today, and a special welcome to first-time readers.If you are blessed with close friends, you love them dearly and know the feeling is reciprocal. Love of friends is rooted in God’s love – the creator of love. He loves us, we love Him, and we shower our friends with that God-given emotion. Having a friend(s) means we are engaged in a relationship where we positively and sometimes negatively influence each other while negotiating life’s ups and downs. Unfortunately, close friends can also turn into ruthless enemies, which is heartbreaking. As we know, life is complicated, ever-changing,...
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Thanks for joining us to briefly explore what the New Testament says about Heaven. Last week (Vol. 95), we examined the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and its focus on God as the Almighty and glorious Creator of Heaven(s). Today, in the New Testament gospels, Jesus confirms His Father’s Heavenly presence and how to gain admittance. Then, the New Testament writers expound upon Heaven through their belief in Jesus. And, in Revelation, we read about the “New Heaven” with its apocalyptic and symbolic future visions. While researching this popular destination, I found a helpful commentary by Pastor David Jeremiah titled “What...
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Author’s Note: Interested readers can find all previous volumes of this series here. News Flash: The first 56 volumes are compiled into a book titled “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible.” Thanks for joining us as we begin a two-part study about Heaven — a lively topic about which everyone has an opinion and believers want to go there someday.But before we read the Word of God, let’s review some data. According to a November Pew Research Center survey, a whopping 73% of all U.S. adults believe in Heaven. And what happens in Heaven? Of that 73%...
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Author’s Note: Interested readers can find all previous volumes of this series here. News Flash: The first 56 volumes are compiled into a book titled “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible.”Thanks for joining us this New Year’s weekend as we conclude our two-part study of the Messianic prophecies found in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.If you missed reading Part One, now would be a good time to catch up and help make Part Two more meaningful. But here is a quick recap: We discussed what Jesus said about the ancient Hebrew Scriptures relevant to His identity and the...
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