Category Archives: NIV

DEFINITION OF THE DAY (FOOL,FOOLISHNESS, AND FOLLY PT 1 OF 2)

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Translations of several uncomplimentary words that appear approximately 360 times throughout the OT and NT to describe unwise and ungodly people. The words are especially predominant in the Wisdom Literature of the OT. Persons who do not possess wisdom are called “fools”; their behavior is described as “folly.” The picture, which emerges from the biblical material, is quite simple: folly is the opposite of wisdom, and a fool is the opposite of a wise person.

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EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (HANDS “TO RAISE OR STRETCH OUT” PT 1 OF 3)

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As students , we learned to raise our hand in the classroom to gain recognition to speak. The en masse raising of hands at a sporting event signals celebration. Neither of these forms of hand raising are apparent in the art and literature of the ancient Near East, but we do find both morals and gods depicted with uplifted hands in a variety of scenarios.

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WOMEN OF THE BIBLE (THE SAMARITAN WOMAN “MEETING THE THIRST QUENCHER”)

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Isn’t it amazing how an entire life can change in a moment? That’s the way it happened for the unnamed woman we meet in John 4.

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WHAT SHOULD WE BELIEVE ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS?

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Most Christians approach this topic from one of three viewpoints. One group sees all the gifts mentioned in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 as still operative today. Another group says that the more spectacular, so-called “sign” gifts (prophecy, tongues, healing) were given only for the beginning era of the church (people who hold this position are called “cessationists”). Still others teach that all the gifts were temporary in nature.

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BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (SUPERSTITIOUS SAILORS)

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Sailors of ancient times tended to be very superstitious because of their constant exposure to the dangers of the sea. When a storm struck the ship in which Jonah was escaping from the call of the Lord, they assumed the pagan gods were punishing them because of their displeasure with one person on board.

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WOMAN OF THE BIBLE (ANNA “FAITHFUL TO THE VERY END”)

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Someone once remarked that growing old isn’t a battle but a massacre.

Sadly, in most cases this is all too true. If we live long enough, we are forced to grieve a lone, painful series of losses. As we age, we say farewell-usually to our careers, often to our health, sometimes to our memories, always to the independent lives we once knew. And the older we get, the more often we will have to stand in funeral homes and cemeteries and say goodbye to beloved family members and dear friends.

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BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (ACCIDENTAL DEATH)

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This verse shows God’s desire that cities of refuge be established throughout the land once the Israelites had conquered and settled the land of Canaan. Any person who caused the accidental death of another could seek refuge in one of these cities until it was determined through due process what punishment, if any, should be levied against him.

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SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (PROVERBS 8:1-36 “THE EXCELLENCE OF WISDOM”)

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1.Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

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WOMAN OF THE DAY (JAZEBEL “HOW NOT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE”)

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It’s hard to find nice things to say about the woman whose name has become synonymous for being shameless, brazen, and morally bankrupt.

Jezebel came from royalty-her father was Ethbaal, a Phoenician king. She also married into royalty-her husband, Ahab, was the king of the ten tribes that made up the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 16:29-33),

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EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (ENGRAVE 1 OF 2)

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Artisans of the past were occasionally commissioned by their benefactors to create works of art that delivered messages and captured beauty. One mode of delivery was engraving: the incising of words or images into clay, wood, stone, or metal. The process of engraving began with the purchase or production of the necessary tools for the job. The engraving tool could be a reed stylus, metal chisel, or flint point (Job 19:24; Jer 17:1), depending on the hardness of the

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