Mostrando resultados por autor "James King" en Todas las categorías

Idolatry, rebellion, disobedience, pride. Second Kings illustrates the collapse of a divided nation that turned its back on God. This, however, does not change the fact that God is faithful. Like any good father, he does not allow his children's sinfulness to carry on without discipline.

The Book of Leviticus s the third book of the Torah and of the Old Testament; scholars generally agree that it developed over a long period of time, reaching its present form during the Persian Period between 538-332 BCE. Most of its chapters consist of God's speeches to Moses, which God commands Moses to repeat to the Israelites.

The Book of Isaiah was written by Isaiah (the son of Amoz), who served as prophet between 740 - 701 BC. This was a critical period in the history of Israel when corruption was rampant. The Jews were breaking God’s covenant and engaging in idolatry. Isaiah mentions Israel as falling to corruption. He says that there is hope for the people of Israel if they repent and mend their ways. In his dream, Isaiah saw God, who told him to preach to the people to remember and obey Him. He foretells of the fall of Israel and the exile of the Jews if they persist in their corrupt ways.

A plumb line and a basket of ripe fruit: two things the prophet Amos sees in visions. But what could these things symbolize? Listen to Amos, a lowly shepherd, as he warns the wealthy and religious Israelites about their idolatry and injustice to the poor. Could God be giving this prophet signs of the coming judgment?

Imagine marching hundreds of miles across the wilderness in order to get to a land flowing with abundance, filled with lush meadows and beautiful flowers. In Numbers, the Israelites are headed to the "promised land” of Canaan. This journey may take longer than expected. Will they remain faithful to the God who brought them out of Egypt?

“God is light.” This means we can always count on him to overcome evil with good. Having assurance of our salvation in Christ equips us to stand firm in the face of evil. This letter points Christians back to the Gospel. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” It encourages believers to live obedient lives in light of the salvation they have in Christ.

Like many of us, the Thessalonians need to be reminded of the reality of Christ's second coming. In this book Paul encourages believers to look forward to the second coming as the final accomplishment of God's promise to save his people. In light of the Thessalonians' false sense of security, Paul addresses the timing of the second coming only by saying, "...the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thes. 5:2).

Beginning with a magnificent prologue, Shakespearean actor Nigel Gore's beautiful narration of the Gospel According to St. John makes this famous story wholly accessible as possible to the modern ear.

In this timely and important new recording, The Gospel According to Matthew sparkles with new light in the hands of award-winning narrator Alison Larkin. Matthew is the first of the four gospels in the New Testament. Held in high esteem by the church, no other text was so frequently quoted in the noncanonical literature of earliest Christianity.

Salvation from the Lord has no barriers. The prophet Zechariah teaches God’s people that the invitation of salvation goes out to all people, regardless of their nationalities. In this book the prophet foresees people from all over the world worshipping God. Listen to Zechariah as he scolds the people for their disobedience and tells of the future restoration of the faithful.

The apostle Peter writes to churches pertaining to the false teachers and opposition among them. His letter is a reminder that God's grace is not only pardon but also power to live righteously in the face of opposition. Because we have the Holy Spirit, we can pursue holiness, bear fruit, and deny false teachers. Peter's exhortations are an encouragement to remain steadfast and firm in the faith.

While there is suffering, evil, sickness, and death in this world, the book of Joel reminds us that we have an everlasting hope through it all. Joel warns the people of Judah as a horrifying locust plague has come upon them. He urges the people to repent and return to God, predicting that this is just the beginning of their judgment. Thankfully Joel's prophecies do not end there.

After the return of the exiled Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem, prophets Zechariah and Haggai motivated the people to rebuild the temple. The people asked Zechariah when the temple would be rebuilt. Zechariah turns to the people and tells them to be true to their covenant with God, do good deeds, and not be like their ancestors; the people agree. Zechariah then has a series of 8 dreams. These visions translate to God fulfilling His promise by establishing His kingdom in Jerusalem that will be pure.

The Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible beautifully told in the form of a first-person memoir by narrator and voice actor Glenn Hascall. It concerns the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, and the dedication of the city and its people to God's laws. The events take place in the second half of the 5th century BCE, and together with the Book of Ezra, it represents the final chapter in the historical narrative of the Hebrew Bible.

The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah. The book has a long and complex history, but its final form is probably due to a Priestly redaction of a Yahwistic source made some time in the early Persian period (5th century BCE). The name of the book comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites.

Humans are prone to amnesia. We easily forget what God has done for us because of an inward focus on ourselves. The Israelites did just this. They forgot about the miraculous things God had done to unite them to himself. In turn they abandoned God's way: "...Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6). In Judges we learn that God keeps his promises despite the sinfulness of his people.

After admonishing believers in Corinth for their sinful ways and abuse of grace, Paul writes a second letter, commending them for their positive response to his first letter. He expresses his joy in hearing that they've repented and embraced his teachings. Paul then goes on to encourage believers to "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). Listen as he reminds the church at Corinth that God has made them a new creation in Christ.

In light of Jesus' second coming, we should not be compelled to hide out until his return; rather, we should be actively participating in his restoration plan for the world as we wait in anticipation. Paul teaches the Thessalonians that the second coming should not paralyze believers from doing work for the kingdom. Instead it should motivate them to live in a way that is pleasing to God. We all have duties to complete before Jesus' return, so we should "...not grow weary in doing good" (2 Thes. 3:13).

In this audio compilation of the Book of Jeremiah, the narrator tells the story of the prophet Jeremiah. These chapters of the Bible are broken into biographical, prose, and poetic strands - and have a heavy focus on the events leading up to the fall of Jerusalem during a forty-year period. Here we focus on Jeremiah as the prophet who, from his young age to his grown years, delivers the word of God to the people of Israel at the most volatile and troubling times of their lives.

The Book of Ruth‎, Megilath Ruth, "the Scroll of Ruth" is included in the third division, or the Writings, of the Hebrew Bible; in most Christian canons it is treated as a history book and placed between Judges and Samuel. The book tells of Ruth accepting the god of the Israelites as her god and the Israelite people as her own. In Ruth 1:16 -17, Ruth tells Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.