Articles for tag: Jerusalem

April 18, 2014

Christian Standard

Good Friday, Sexual Identity, and the Fruit of the Spirit

By LeRoy Lawson   City of Wrong: A Friday in Jerusalem M. Kamel Hussein (translated by Kenneth Cragg) Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995 (first published in 1954) The End of Sexual Identity: Why Sex Is Too Important to Define Who We Are Jenell Williams Paris Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2011 Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community Philip D. Kenneson Downers Grove: IVP Books, 1999 Picture yourself in Jerusalem on Good Friday. Even better, imaginatively hover around and in and through the actors, big and small, in this most consequential drama. This is what Kamel Hussein does

March 24, 2014

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 30, 2014: Triumphant and Victorious (Zechariah 9:9, 10; Matthew 21:1-11)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Continuing this quarter”s study, “Jesus” Fulfillment of Scripture,” we come to the Triumphal Entry. It marks the beginning of the end of our Savior”s earthly life. The event had been foretold centuries before by the prophet Zechariah. He served as a priest along with Haggai, urging the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (see Ezra 5:1, 2). James E. Smith pointed out four important facts found in Zechariah 9 concerning the coming Prince of Peace:

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 25, 2013: Sabbath Reforms (Nehemiah 13:4-31)

By Sam E. Stone The conclusion of the book of Nehemiah emphasizes how reform happens. James E. Smith observes, “Once again the reading of Scripture had driven home to the Jews the obligation to be holy unto Yahweh. The prohibition here enjoined (Nehemiah 13:1-3) was not absolute. It was religious, not ethnic. Those who embraced in faith the God of Israel, like Ruth the Moabitess, could find a very different reception in Israel.” Nehemiah 13 describes a time somewhat removed from the first chapters. Nehemiah has now returned to Jerusalem from his homeland (v. 6-9). While some feel he had

July 29, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 4, 2013: Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 7:73b”“8:18; Leviticus 23:33-43)

By Sam E. Stone Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 444 BC. Ezra had been there 13 years at the time of today”s text. Ezra served as a priest, however, while Nehemiah came as the civil governor to rebuild the wall and restore Jerusalem as a fortified city. The opening chapters of the book that bears his name tell how he came to be sent there, and how he proceeded to rebuild the wall. Despite fierce opposition, Nehemiah led the people through this challenging time. Nehemiah”s list of those who had returned from Babylon became the basis he would use to

July 15, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 21, 2013: Fasting and Praying (Ezra 7:1″“8:23)

By Sam E. Stone The book of Ezra is composed of two sections: chapters 1″“6 record how the Jews returned from captivity to rebuild the temple; chapters 7″“10 describe how Ezra came back to Jerusalem and led reforms. A period of some 57 years passed between the end of Ezra 6 (515 BC) and the beginning of Ezra 7 (458 BC). During this time, the events described in the book of Esther took place.   Plans for the Trip Ezra 7:6-10 The second section of the book begins with a listing of Ezra”s credentials. Ruben Ratzlaff notes, “Like many of

July 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 7, 2013: Restoring the Temple (Ezra 3:8-13)

By Sam E. Stone This is the second week of studies from the book of Ezra. It describes the time when God”s people were able to worship in Jerusalem once again. Being released from Babylonian captivity was not enough. Now they needed not only to rebuild the altar but also to restore the entire temple, following God”s directions for worship. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther contain the inspired record of what took place at this time period. James E. Smith explains, “The first six chapters of the Book of Ezra cover a single generation, 538-515 BC. The major

June 17, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 23, 2013: Worship in the New Creation (Isaiah 65)

By Sam E. Stone In this final lesson from Isaiah, we study part of his prophetic message that parallels John”s vision recorded in the book of Revelation. Bible scholars point out how the book of Isaiah mirrors the entire 66 books of the Bible. Isaiah 1″“39 is reminiscent of the 39 books found in the Old Testament, while the remaining 27 chapters call to mind the 27 books of the New Testament. Isaiah 40″“66 contains many significant prophecies about Jesus Christ. That section begins with these encouraging words: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and

June 10, 2013

Christian Standard

The Power of One

By Todd Bussey Simple, humble people emboldened with great faith and strong conviction give each of us a hint about what we could accomplish. They demonstrate the power of one to make the world a better place. And they have four traits in common. “¢ A young man starts a shoe company. For every pair purchased, a second pair is given to a child in need. The idea explodes into a global phenomenon. “¢ A mother of four puts her young children to bed and spends the evening on her laptop as an “online” missionary to another mother living in a

April 8, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 14, 2013: The Lord Sends the Spirit (Acts 2:1-41)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Jesus had told his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to them (John 14:15-17). Today”s lesson tells when that occurred. It happened on the Day of Pentecost, immediately following his resurrection. Pente means 50th. Pentecost was observed on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week. At Passover, Jesus had been crucified; at Pentecost, the inauguration of his earthly kingdom took place. Passover provided a time to remember when the Lord “passed over”

March 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 10, 2013: Daniel’s Prayer (Daniel 9)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone “The events of Daniel 9 were triggered by the reading of Scripture,” explains James E. Smith. “Daniel had access to a collection of prophetic literature which included the scroll of Jeremiah. He noted in Jeremiah 25:11 that the desolations of Jerusalem were to end after the termination of the seventy years of Babylonian world rule.” This is the background for Daniel”s prayer that we study today. It is surely one of the most heartfelt pleas to

November 12, 2012

Christian Standard

Celebrating 200 Years of Mission

By Bill Weber This year is the bicentennial of the first foreign missionaries being sent out under a mission board from the United States. The first missionaries commissioned and sent included Adoniram and Ann Judson. During the subsequent 200 years, the work of taking the gospel to thousands of people groups throughout the world has been hugely successful. The modern mission movement dates back to 1792 and to William Carey, a motivator and apologist for missions in his native England. His writings and teaching were influential in bringing missions to the forefront of the church. Later, as a missionary in

July 23, 2012

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 29, 2012: Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms (2 Chronicles 18, 19)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone King Jehoshaphat was one of the more godly kings in the time of the divided kingdom. He ruled Judah around 873-848 BC, succeeding his father, Asa, on the throne (2 Chronicles 17:1). The writer declares, “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed” (v. 3). He removed the “high places” used for pagan worship in Judah. Later in his life, however, he made the

January 10, 2012

Christian Standard

In Just One Year: Love Your City

Nothing challenges us to think about changing times more than the transition from one year to the next. On this first day of 2012, we asked six Christian leaders to think about the church a year from now and to draw a picture of our progress””and our problems””then.  * * * By Jon Ferguson Last fall my family moved to the north side of Chicago””we love this city. We love Chicago for its sports teams, architecture, and history, but most of all, we love Chicago for its people: hard-working, unpretentious, and good-natured””as long as you don”t take their parking space

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