Beacon2Light

The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus Kindle Edition by Gary R. Habermas (Author), Michael R. Licona (Author) Free on Kindle for a limited time Recommended by Josh McDowell Saeed Abedini's release means a very difficult re-entry process after over 3 years of captivity. In addition to beatings, interrogations and the lengthy separation from his family, his wife Naghmeh has written emails that speak of further problems in their marriage/family. See the link below:  Wife of pastor Saeed Abedini, jailed in Iran for his faith, explains 'shock' of his release JANUARY 16, 2016, 2:54 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2016, 4:04 PM BY SARAH PULLIAM BAILEY WASHINGTON POST WIRE SERVICE The Christianity Today article referenced in the above piece T he Case for Easter: A Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection Kindle Edition by Lee Strobel (Author) $1.99 on Kindle Finding the Real Jesus: A Guide for ...

Jesus, our Leader, was unpredictable.  That is because sinful people expected Him to act sinfully.  Since they didn't believe, it was easy to see Him as less than He was. Whether it was paying taxes, matters of the Law, marriage and divorce, it didn't matter.  They could never figure Jesus out because they always expected a self-serving, divisive, biased, in a word, a sinful reaction like what they would give. We should be the same as Jesus was.  The world anticipates a sinful attitude, action or reaction out of us.  And unfortunately, we rarely disappoint. Instead, they should be surprised by us, our attitudes, actions and reactions.  We wouldn't be perfect by any measure but living as imperfect followers of Jesus who often take people by surprise just as Jesus did.  Then, they would be forced to deal with the fact that our faith is real and makes a genuine difference in our lives. Another thing you will find is that people expect you to be tr...

  John 10:1-10 (NIV) “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture...

Relationships: A Mess Worth Making [Kindle Edition] Free for a limited time Timothy S. Lane (Author), Paul David Tripp (Author) While skillfully identifying the deeper issues that keep relationships less than they are designed to be, Tim Lane and Paul Tripp show readers how to experience the other side of relationships as well. They convincingly testify of the power of God's presence to bring believers to the place where: Conflicts actually get resolved Tough conversations turn out positive Forgiveness is granted and real love is expressed and shared Casual relationships mature into deep friendships Weaknesses are overlooked and strengths are applauded People are honest without being mean Timothy S. Lane, M.Div., D.Min., is Executive Director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF), a faculty member, and a counselor with twenty-five years of experience, including ten years as a pastor. He is the coauthor of the books How People Change and Rela...

Joseph Was a Religious Man (18-19) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 1. He became betrothed to a Jewish girl (18) a. a representative of the groom and the parents of the bride were involved in the process b. it was confirmed by oaths and presents to the bride and the bride’s parents (dowry) c. it was celebrated by a feast d. Often, it was customary to place a ring on the bride’s finger (sign of love and fidelity) e. to the Jews, betrothal was part of the marriage process f. a change of intent by either party was very serious g. an abrupt end to the betrothal could only be done through the man giving his wife a certificate of divorce h. a Jewish betrothal usually lasted for a year i. during that time they ...

The Legacy Builder: Five Non-Negotiable Leadership Secrets [Kindle Edition] Rod Olson (Author) A leadership parable for today. Free on the Kindle for a limited time from David C. Cook Haunted Waters: 1 (Red Rock Mysteries) [Kindle Edition] Jerry B. Jenkins Free on Kindle for a limited time! The Daily Walk Bible NLT: 31 Days with Jesus [Kindle Edition] Walk Thru the Bible free on Kindle  Amazon summary:  Most people agree that Jesus was an amazing teacher and someone we could all learn from. At the same time, most of us have spent little time actually reading his story. The Daily Walk Bible NLT: 31 Days with Jesus is an open invitation to do just that. In just one month you will read through all four gospels, seeing Jesus and gaining insight into his purpose and message for us.

Dieric Bouts  http://www.heiligenlexikon.de/Fotos/Abraham-Melchisedek.jpg According to Gen. 13, when the area became too small for both Abraham and Lot’s flocks and herds, Abraham gave Lot the first choice of what direction to go. Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom” and moved into the city before long. There he became an elder, apparently, later appearing at the gate of the city as recorded in Genesis 19. After 12 years of being under the authority of the king of Elam, Sodom, along with some co-conspirators, decided to rebel. This led to a battle of 4 kingdoms versus 5 that included Sodom. The side Sodom was on lost and the King of Elam and his allies took some spoils of war and captives which included Lot. You can find this account in Genesis 14. When Abraham heard it, he mustered his servants and some Amorite allies of his for an assault on the king of Elam and his forces. This attack was successful, in that Abraham recovered the spoils of war and the captives (inclu...

Margaret Thatcher, AP photo from http://www.worldmag.com/2013/04/margaret_thatcher_dies Margaret Thatcher was the only woman to serve as British prime minister and she is also the longest serving prime minister of the U.K. in the last century.   Her “reign” was from 1979 to 1990.   She died after suffering a stroke at the age of 87.   This was preceded by several small strokes and dementia over the last several years.    AP photo found on http://www.newsmax.com/ Her political soul mate, if you will, was Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States.   Not only did they serve parallel terms from 1981-1989 but they also shared an economic philosophy, a passion against communism in general and the Soviet Union in particular and an ability to reshape    events at home and abroad.   Together they took on the Soviet Bloc, which Reagan referred to as “the Evil Empire.” My prayer is that in an ever more da...

A dear senior citizen was angry.  She came from a generation in which you dared not speak out of line to a teacher let alone hit the instructor.  The average public school of her generation was more strict than the average Christian school today.  Part of her anger had to do with the seismic shift in American public opinion regarding gay marriage and other issues.  To this Bible teacher, patriot and godly woman, her country was not just in decline but hurdling toward an abyss. She was in the background of my mind as I prepared to give a portrait of Jesus on Good Friday.  I surfed through a Harmony of the Gospels (if you have never seen one of these, you must get one) and cut and spliced together a thorough narrative of the events of this tragic yet triumphant day.  After having studied it and considered what to present, how to present it and how to drive it home, one particular scene especially caught my eye. Jesus is standing before Pilate.  He is...

There is quite a fascinating juxtaposition of Holy Week and an issue being weighed by the Supreme Court. A former IBM programmer is asking the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act which passed by overwhelming margins in both houses of Congress in 1996 with Bill Clinton signing the act into law (incidentally, he is now against it). Arguments began in the challenge to California’s Proposition 8 which resulted in the voters putting an end to same sex marriage in the state. All of this is happening on the federal level while Christians worldwide are observing the events surrounding Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. There have been various reactions to this. To some, the timing is an outrage, to be sure. People are lining up on both sides of the issue and social media is aflame with arguments for and against the expansion of marital rights for same sex couples. Those who embrace Christ as their Savior are divided on the question as well. So, what is a Chr...