For many Bible scholars, it is strange that John Calvin did not write a commentary on the book of Revelation. He did not even take the time to preach systematically about it, as he did with many Bible books. Martin Luther concluded that it was “undeciphered prophecies, with no certain interpretation, they are nothing but […]

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Everyone loves a good mystery. It challenges us. Man is ever self-challenged to conquer the world: Nebuchadnezzar, Darius the Mede, Cyrus the Persian, Alexander the Great, and Rome, to name a few. Alexander cried when there were no more worlds to conquer. But wait: More worlds are on our horizon! Man looks upward into the […]

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After sixteen years serving the Church in various educational capacities, Amber Riggs has stepped down as co-director and dean of administration for Artios Christian College. She continues to live near Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and four daughters. The BA caught up with Amber to ask about her experience and what’s next for her.   […]

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“Faithful” is our theme for 2021, and in this space over the next six issues, we’ll look at six Bible characters whose faithfulness in their own unique context speaks to us in ours. Our goal here is to challenge and encourage the Church of God to embody faithfulness, in our own time, after the examples […]

The post Focus on the Faithful – Abraham appeared first on Bible Advocate.

In a flash, God could have made an ark for Noah and his family. But He didn’t. Instead, God instructed Noah to build it. Noah spent decades building that boat. It was grueling work. Cutting trees. Hauling lumber. Making sure that every piece fit together just right. Not only did he work with his hands, […]

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For a long time, I committed more “fits” than “starts.” For those not familiar with the idiom “fits and starts,” it refers to irregular intervals of action and inaction, as in “His presidential campaign is proceeding by fits and starts.” The expression began in the late 1500s with “as by fits.” The noun fit meant […]

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I learned early on that if people are different colors, I did not have the preferred color. When my mother and longtime friends would get together and the subject of skin color came up, my mother was sure to say with a tone of disgust, “We are all pale and bleached out. Everything shows. Every […]

The post What Color Am I? appeared first on Bible Advocate.

“I just need to check my Instagram one more time before bed.” “If I don’t worry about it, no one will.” “I cannot believe I just did that. People are going to think I’m a loser.” At the start of my New Testament Survey class, I did a study on Matthew 6. I had always […]

The post Who is Your Master? appeared first on Bible Advocate.

Why do we sin? One reason has to do with our emotions. We can seethe over someone who has done wrong to us or spoken against us, and then lash out at them or slander them. We can envy what a person has to the point of wishing them ill. Even though we believe we […]

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I Hear the Call   I hear the call to the highest peaks,  The cry to the deepest trenches, And I fear the barren summits, And dread the darkest tempests.   I know the Creator of the mountains,  The Maker of the deep, And I trust the One who calls and guides To tend and […]

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Does Scripture teach that we will be reunited with loved ones in the kingdom of heaven? When people say, “Daddy’s happy now. He’s with Mother again,” I just smile. I would dearly love to see my parents again, but I can’t think of where the Bible tells me so. Is there any basis for thinking […]

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It’s 2021, and I bet you are as ready to leave 2020 behind as I am. But a new year doesn’t mean a new world. The confused, chaotic forces unveiled last year are challenges that remain. Our theme for this year is “Faithful.” We ask, what does it mean to be faithful in a decaying […]

The post Found or Falling? – First Word from the Jan-Feb BA appeared first on Bible Advocate.