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, […]
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 […]
GATES AND DOORS March 1, 2020 | Psalm 24 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue If you close your eyes, can you picture the door of your childhood home? Maybe you remember unlatching the gate that led to your backyard? If you returned to these same places today, you might pause—before you walked through—to remember the past. […]
SERVING SIDE BY SIDE February 29, 2020 | Esther 9:29–10:3 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When the Church operates according to God’s design, we serve effectively to accomplish His will. Unity should be the hallmark of God’s people, but it’s not always easy. From biblical times to this present day, God has drawn a variety of […]
THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 27, 2020 “WAITING IN PRAYER” SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 40:1 EXPOSITION: Prayer is one of the most talked about topics in Christendom but the least practiced in the closet. Many people would prefer others to pray for them than spend time with God in prayer. Some people only pray when they go to […]
PROVIDENCE, NOT PROFIT February 26, 2020 | Esther 9:5–10 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue For as long as there has been war, plunder has been a part of it. For centuries, invading nations have stolen the food, resources, and the territories of those they conquer. But back in Genesis 14—when Abram rescued the goods and people […]
WITH CONFIDENCE February 25, 2020 | Esther 9:1–4 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Imagine going into any sort of challenge—a basketball game, a big exam, a legal dispute—knowing with 100 percent certainty that you were going to come out on top. What confidence you would carry! That is how the Jewish people could now approach the […]