SHUT THE TEMPLE DOORS March 12, 2020 | Malachi 1:6–14 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In years past, a student would show respect to a favorite teacher with the gift of an apple. But what if the apple was rotten or full of worms? Then what would traditionally have been a sign of respect and honor […]
IDOLATRY BEHIND THE GATES March 11, 2020 | Ezekiel 8 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue On October 31, 1517, now celebrated as Reformation Day, Martin Luther posted his “95 Theses” to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. In them, he attacked then- common practices and beliefs of the Catholic church, including requiring payment […]
GATES OF THANKSGIVING March 10, 2020 | Psalm 100 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue At one time in church history, ordinary Christians didn’t sing. Instead, they listened while sacred music was performed by professionals. But thanks to the Reformation and the invention of the printing press, congregational singing made a comeback. The first hymnal was printed […]
ONE DAY IN YOUR COURTS March 9, 2020 | Psalm 84 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” You may recognize this chorus from the popular worship song written by Matt Redman, but these lyrics actually originated in the Psalms. The sentiment is just as true today. […]
GATEKEEPERS OF THE TEMPLE March 8, 2020 | 1 Chronicles 9:17–29 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Do modern churches have gatekeepers? Yes, but unfortunately the reason has changed. As reported in Christianity Today, “Armed security at churches is becoming a new norm.” Why? “An estimated 617 worshipers have been killed in violent incidents in the U.S. […]
THE DOORS OF SOLOMON’S TEMPLE March 7, 2020 | 1 Kings 6:11–38 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Renaissance sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti designed special bronze doors for a cathedral in Florence, Italy. Called the “Gates of Paradise,” they stand 17 feet high and weigh 4.5 tons. Artistically, they feature ten richly detailed panels depicting stories from the […]
GATES OF DEATH March 6, 2020 | Psalm 9:1–14 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The Bible’s gates of hell or “gates of death” (v. 13) may remind Lord of the Rings fans of the Black Gate of Mordor. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s books and the movie adaptations, the Black Gate is a fearsome structure—dark, huge, seemingly invulnerable, […]
THE GATE OF HEAVEN March 5, 2020 | Genesis 28:10–22 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Have you ever passed an antique wardrobe and wondered if there might be a wintry world on the other side? In C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a wardrobe provides a gateway to Narnia. Lewis seemed fond […]
A GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL March 4, 2020 | Acts 3 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Robotic suits can help disabled individuals walk again! Experimental bionic limbs or “wearable robots” are currently used only in rehabilitation and physical therapy settings, but as materials get lighter, computers get smarter, and batteries last longer, designers hope this technology will […]
GATES AND THE SABBATH March 3, 2020 | Jeremiah 17:19–27 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue If you’re familiar with the story of Ruth, you might remember how Boaz “asked permission” to marry her (Ruth 4:1–12). Boaz was legally required to negotiate with a relative who had a prior claim on the widow and her land. When […]