The Igreja de Deus do Sétimo Dia de Portugal (ID7DP, or Church of God of the Seventh Day of Portugal) is a merger of two Sabbatarian Christian organizations: the Igreja Universal de Jesus Cristo (IUJC, or Universal Church of Jesus Christ), founded in 1931, and the Congregação Cristã de Portugal (Christian Congregation of Portugal), founded […]

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Christians are justified by a God of justice and commanded to be people of justice, but often we fail to embrace our identity and calling.

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Do you remember your first memory verse? I do. Dorothy Keim taught it to me at a church convention in 1973, when I was seven. It’s beloved by many — Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to […]

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Previously in this column I wrote about the collapse in 1967 of the Silver Bridge, connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. The bridge had received much attention for being the first eyebar suspension bridge in the United States, which made engineering history. When it collapsed without warning, it raised concerns about our nation’s […]

The post Repairing the Breach appeared first on Bible Advocate.

With a sincere gust of breath, I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. As seven gave way to eight, I quickly turned from my cake to the nearby present and tore in with youthful ferocity. Though severely weakened by fiery pricks of pain, my mom had wrapped that gift with dear love. As […]

The post From Water, Wine appeared first on Bible Advocate.

“I don’t know exactly what I want to do,” Tricia said to her friend and prayer partner, Susan. “I’ve been just a mom and housewife, but now that the kids are out of the house, I feel I’m supposed to run a business that will honor the Lord and reach out into our community.” “Let’s […]

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Suffering, loss, grief, and death are all part of this fallen world. No one is immune; believers and non-believers alike endure them. If we’re honest, Bible verses about suffering and trials are not the ones we want to embrace. It is human nature to avoid pain or discomfort, or even the mention of it. But […]

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Me: Hey God. God: Hello. Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together? God: I would rather not. Me: Why? God: Because you aren’t a puzzle. Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground? God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell […]

The post Hey God. Hey John. appeared first on Bible Advocate.

Sometimes I catch myself looking at an old picture of my mother holding me as a baby. A proud, happy smile spreads across her face as she holds me tightly on her hip. I look content, as if I know I am happy and comfortable in my mother’s arms. Looking at this picture, I get […]

The post Streams in the Wasteland appeared first on Bible Advocate.

Does being made righteous refer to a status or a process? The short answer is both. Let’s take a closer look at this great word, starting with its background in the Old Testament.  In both Hebrew and Greek, the basic meaning of righteousness is “conformity to a norm.” In its biblical context, the norm that […]

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A Glimpse I catch a glimpse of who I was — who I used to be. A stranger now, but still so close, lurks inside of me. The invisible God is changing me into someone new. When He began I cannot say; I only know it’s true. The stranger inside — my sinful self — […]

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The Gospel of John was written by the direction of the Holy Spirit as comfort, life instruction, and theology for every individual. John is a spiritually thrilling book. Its words and message are straightforward and so basic that this Gospel moves us to clearly understand the very heart of Jesus and comprehend why He came […]

The post When We Hit Rough Waters appeared first on Bible Advocate.