When we think of Christmas, we often think of things such as trees, wreaths, lights, and candy canes. Many of these symbols have beautiful meanings that reflect back on the true purpose of Christmas, which is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, it seems that the original meanings of these symbols have been lost, and the focus of Christmas is no longer celebrating His birth.The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God - innocent and pure - who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Iam (pronounced EE-um) the Lamb is a symbol of this gift to remind us of what Christmas is truly about. Jesus was born to bring God's glory to earth - to turn darkness to light - and Iam wants to encourage you to shine the light of Jesus throughout the world.
The book of Revelation is one of the most rewarding books to study in all Scripture. But the problem for many today is that they have no idea what the book means or how to determine what it means. Follow the Lamb goes a long way in helping the student of Revelation grasp its richness and heed its exhortations. Dalyrmple's guide provides key principles in reading Revelation responsibly. The first key is that the book is about Jesus—his supremacy and sovereignty. The second key is that the language and images used in the book of Revelation derive from the Old Testament. Though many readers get caught up in the mire of John's imagery and efforts to discern what the symbols mean, this principle simplifies the search for meaning. Each chapter in Follow the Lamb concludes with an important For Further Study section, making it an ideal resource for individual or group study. These questions and exercises and reflection guides make personal application of Revelation meaningful and rich. The book of Revelation contains an important message for the people of God, both then and now—namely, that the people of God must emulate Jesus and faithfully proclaim the kingdom of God, even to the point of death. This means they are called to "follow the Lamb wherever He goes" (Rev. 14:4).
“I didn’t think he’d do it. I really didn’t think he would. I thought he’d say, whoa, hold on, wait a minute. We made a deal, remember, the land, the blessing, the nation, the descendants as numerous as the sands on the shore and the stars in the sky.” So begins James Goodman’s original and urgent encounter with one of the most compelling and resonant stories ever told—God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. A mere nineteen lines in the book of Genesis, it rests at the heart of the history, literature, theology, and sacred rituals of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For more than two millennia, people throughout the world have grappled with the troubling questions about sacrifice, authority, obedience, and faith to which the story gives rise. Writing from the vantage of “a reader, a son, a Jew, a father, a skeptic, a historian, a lover of stories, and a writer,” Goodman gives us an enthralling narrative history that moves from its biblical origins to its place in the cultures and faiths of our time. He introduces us to the commentary of Second Temple sages, rabbis and priests of the late antiquity, and early Islamic exegetes (some of whom imagined that Ishmael was the nearly sacrificed son). He examines Syriac hymns (in which Sarah stars), Hebrew chronicles of the First Crusade (in which Isaac often dies), and medieval English mystery plays. He looks at the art of Europe’s golden age, the philosophy of Kant and Kierkegaard, and the panoply of twentieth-century interpretation, sacred and profane, including the work of Bob Dylan, Elie Wiesel, and A. B. Yehoshua. In illuminating how so many others have understood this story, Goodman tells a gripping and provocative story of his own.
Join Margaret Feinberg, one of America's most beloved teachers and writers, as she sets out on a remarkable journey to unearth God's perspective on food. What you discover will forever change the way you read the Bible--and approach every meal. This groundbreaking book provides a culinary exploration of Scripture. You'll descend 400 feet below ground into the frosty white caverns of a salt mine, fish on the Sea of Galilee, bake fresh matzo at Yale University, ferry to a remote island in Croatia to harvest olives, spend time with a Texas butcher known as "the meat apostle," and wander a California farm with one of the world's premier fig farmers. With each stop, Margaret asks, "How do you read these Scriptures, not as theologians, but in light of what you do every day?" Taste and See teaches us that: As we break bread, we find the satisfaction of our deepest hungers in the community our souls crave As we share our lives, we taste and see God's fruitfulness When we're tempted to lose heart--and we all will be--we find courage in listening to and participating in stories of God's rescuing ways In the midst of a busy life, we can all create space to taste and see God's goodness Taste and See is a delicious read that includes dozens of recipes for those who, like Margaret, believe some of life's richest moments are spent savoring a meal with those you love. See you around the table! Praise for Taste and See: "Margaret Feinberg's appetite for the feast of His grace makes you hunger for more of a fulfilling life. Read and taste the richest food for the soul!" --Ann Voskamp, bestselling author of WayMaker and One Thousand Gifts "Margaret is a storyteller who never ceases to see the beauty of the world around us. If you love God, good food, and life around the table, this book will take you on an unforgettable culinary journey through the Bible." --Jennie Allen, bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head and founder of IF:Gathering
Everyone knows about the immaculate conception and the crucifixion. But what happened to Jesus between the manger and the Sermon on the Mount? In this hilarious and bold novel, the acclaimed Christopher Moore shares the greatest story never told: the life of Christ as seen by his boyhood pal, Biff. Just what was Jesus doing during the many years that have gone unrecorded in the Bible? Biff was there at his side, and now after two thousand years, he shares those good, bad, ugly, and miraculous times. Screamingly funny, audaciously fresh, Lamb rivals the best of Tom Robbins and Carl Hiaasen, and is sure to please this gifted writer’s fans and win him legions more.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have read—and reread—Christopher Moore's irreverent, iconoclastic, and divinely funny tale of the early life of Jesus Christ as witnessed by his boyhood pal Levi bar Alphaeus (a.k.a. Biff). Now, in this special (check out the cool red ribbon marker, gilt-edged pages, and gold lettering) gift edition of Christopher Moore's bestselling Lamb, you, too, can find out what really happened between the manger and the Sermon on the Mount. And, in a new afterword written expressly for this edition, Christopher Moore addresses some of the most frequently asked questions he's received from readers since Lamb's initial publication, about the book and himself. Fresh, funny, poignant, and wise, this special gift edition of Lamb is cause for rejoicing among readers everywhere.
God’s Revelation for Today What did John’s revelations mean to the seven churches who read his letter? The Lamb and the Seven-Sealed Scroll is the second volume in Dr. Richard Booker’s powerful three-volume series. Continuing to examine the Book of Revelation within its original historical, literary, and biblical context, Dr. Booker turns his clear, prophetic explanation to the seven-sealed scroll, which contains the word of the Lord given to Daniel and is sealed until the time of the end. This seven-sealed scroll is God’s revelation of the events of the end times. Dr. Booker boldly challenges some traditional theology and provides biblical and modern-day support for his beliefs. This verse-by-verse study teaches: How to read Revelation within the context of its biblical, Hebraic roots. The historical, spiritual, archeological, and geographic backgrounds of the seven churches. How to read the literary style of the apocalyptic writings of John’s time. The influence of Greek mythology and Roman imperial cult worship are a background to understanding the Book of Revelation. The connection between the context of the Book of Revelation and our world today. There is hope for believers facing the challenging days ahead. God will authorize who can loose the seals, open the scroll, and read His final prophetic word for humankind. Open this book for an inside look at the end times!
Through the available patristic writings Caesar and the Lamb focuses on the attitudes of the earliest Christians on war and military service. Kalantzis not only provides the reader with many new translations of pre-Constantinian texts, he also tells the story of the struggle of the earliest Church, the communities of Christ at the margins of power and society, to bear witness to the nations that enveloped them as they transformed the dominant narratives of citizenship, loyalty, freedom, power, and control. Although Kalantzis examines writings on war and military service in the first three centuries of the Christian Church in an organized manner, the ways earliest Christians thought of themselves and the state are not presented here through the lens of antiquarian curiosity. With theological sensitivity and historical acumen this companion leads the reader into the world in which Christianity arose and asks questions of the past that help us understand the early character of the Christian faith with the hope that such an enterprise will also help us evaluate its expression in our own time.
The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
