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Pastor Jack Graham implores Christians to proclaim truth in a shifting culture

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For as long as Prestonwood Baptist Church Pastor Jack Graham can remember, he’s loved the Bible — a connection nurtured during his childhood as he sat on his grandfather’s knee, listening to the Scriptures.

“The Bible has always been a part of my life, and I’m very grateful for that,” the 74-year-old pastor told The Christian Post.

“As a child, I revealed in those great stories of adventure in the Old Testament, whether it was David and the giant or Daniel in the lion’s den. Then, ultimately, I realized that the story was all about Jesus. Jesus stepped out of the pages of Scripture and into my life. From the beginning, like Timothy, since my childhood, I’ve had the privilege of knowing and loving the Scriptures.”

That childhood foundation shaped not only Graham’s faith but also his calling as a pastor and teacher. A prolific author, he’s served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. His teachings are broadcast through PowerPoint Ministries, reaching audiences nationwide and globally. In October 2022, he launched the “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” podcast, which quickly gained popularity, surpassing 60 million downloads.

But for Graham, his latest book, The Jesus Book, represents the culmination of his life’s work.

“If I had never written another book, this is the one book that I’m glad I was able to write, because it basically covers the message of my life; certainly the message of the Christian faith, the Word of God, the testimony of Christ,” he said. “It is everything to me. My whole life’s goal is to stand on the truth of God’s Word and to proclaim it and, of course, live it.”

In his book, Graham recounts his formative years — a nod to the enduring influence of his grandfather’s storytelling — and how, decades later, that connection to Scripture came full circle during a visit to Oxford, where he held fragments of the Gospel of Matthew, the oldest manuscript of the New Testament.

“As I held those pieces of papyrus, my mind flashed back to learning to read by reading the Bible,” he said. “For me, it wasn’t ‘Dick and Jane’; it was Moses, Daniel, Joseph and Jesus. The Bible has been such a treasure in my life.”

At its core, The Jesus Book is an invitation for readers to encounter Jesus in Scripture, Graham emphasized, adding that the Bible isn’t just a historical artifact or a set of moral guidelines, but a living breathing testimony of God’s plan for redemption.

“The more you read your Bible, the more you know who Jesus is,” he said. “And the more you know Jesus, the more you love and serve Him.”

Through stories, teachings and practical advice, the pastor said his book aims to demystify Scripture for those who feel intimidated or unsure about how to approach it. The book’s subtitle, “Reading and Understanding the Bible for Yourself,” he said, captures his goal of empowering readers to approach the Bible with confidence.

“The story of the Bible is clear because it has one central theme,” he said. “That theme is redemption, salvation. There’s one central person in the Bible: God, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. It’s the story of redemption. And that redemption story is a scarlet thread, that runs through the Bible, from Genesis in the Old Testament all the way through to the New Testament. When you understand the basic themes of the Bible and what the Bible is all about, then it’s not that hard to understand.”

“If a person will make the effort and intentionally read God’s Word and hear God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to explain it and interpret it to them, they will understand it,” he reiterated.

At a time when biblical literacy is at an all-time low, Graham stressed that the Bible’s relevance is timeless. His ministry emphasizes the transformational power of Scripture, he said, citing studies that show regular Bible engagement drastically reduces destructive behaviors while increasing spiritual growth.

“People assume that [the Bible] is a religious book without relevance, and it is an antique or an ancient book that has no application for their lives,” he said. “They approach the Bible as though they would approach any book of history or book of archeology. But you have to start by recognizing that the Bible is the Word of God, and that because it’s the Word of God, there is a message for you today.”

In The Jesus Book, Graham also addresses common mistakes, such as approaching Scripture haphazardly or misunderstanding its central message.

“Bible study methods are important, and we talk about some of those methods as you look at a passage of Scripture, how to summarize the passage, how to assess its content and context,” Graham said. “There is a chapter on protecting yourself from bad Bible reading. There’s a lot of people who misinterpret the Bible because they don’t understand its central content.”

One of the key topics in The Jesus Book is developing a biblical worldview. At a time when truth often seems relative and cultural values ​​shift rapidly, Graham urges Christians to see the world through the lens of Scripture rather than allowing culture to dictate how they interpret the Bible.

“Jude 3 says we are to earnestly contend for the faith, and that reminds us that with all the worldviews that we hear and see out there, with so many lies in the culture, so many lies we tell ourselves, the only way to overcome this attack on truth is using truth to support our faith and our beliefs,” he said.

“In a world that is filled with unbelief, we should graciously, but yet forcefully, understand our Bible and proclaim this message without apology,” he added. “In the culture today, it’s important that we give reasonable evidence for the faith, and that we proclaim Scripture with confidence and certainty and conviction. And when we do that, the Word of God works, and there’s power in the Scripture to counteract all the works of darkness.”

With over 50 years of ministry service, Graham said he’s convinced that pastors and church leaders play a crucial role in encouraging a love for Scripture.

“When you preach the Bible, it creates an appetite for things of God, for the truth,” he said. “It’s like eating a meal; you have to try it: ‘taste and see that the Lord is good.’ I’ve always believed pastors should give a proclamation of the Scriptures so that people can understand it; explain what the Bible says, but also illustrate it and apply it to people’s lives.”

Through his book, Graham said his prayer is that readers will encounter Christ through the Bible and learn how to encounter the Scriptures as a living, breathing testimony of God’s plan for redemption.

“ Luke 24 reminds us that Jesus is present in Scripture,” he said. “My prayer is that every Christian would encounter Christ in the Bible and experience His living presence in His Word. He is called the Living Word of God. So He has given us His book, the Bible, and it is true and trustworthy.”

The Jesus Book is now available everywhere books are sold.
Sources:Christian Post

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Biblical Archaeology From the Holy Land Revealed: ‘You’re Almost Touching…History’

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An Israeli entrepreneur on a mission to highlight biblical artifacts has brought his “treasures from the Holy Land” to America.

Oded Golan’s “Discovering the World of Jesus: Ancient Treasures From the Holy Land” experience opened Dec. 3 at Atlanta’s Pullman Yards, with hundreds of ancient artifacts surrounding the New Testament on display.

“We are bringing [a] once-in-a-lifetime experience to people to look at items that they will probably not have other opportunities to see,” Golan recently told CBN News. “The 350 items that are presented here, most of them are from the time of Christ. They were all found in the Holy Land in Israel, and they are telling the stories that are mentioned in the New Testament, but in first hand.”

He added, “You’re almost touching the history.”

Golan said some of the items are related to Jesus’ family or people living during his lifetime. These elements allow people to explore life during biblical times, seeing the behaviors and practices that unfolded during the New Testament era.

Already, audiences are loving the experience, Golan said, noting that giving a lens into the past illuminates knowledge and understanding.

“It doesn’t change faith, it doesn’t change belief, but it changed, somehow, how do you feel and how do you see the stories that are mentioned in the Bible — in the New Testament,” he said.

Golan’s story is a fascinating one, as he started collecting antiquities when he was just a child.

What started as a passion project grew into something much more — a collection he calls the “biggest and largest … in the world of biblical archaeology items.”

“When I was young, even, you know, until the age of 16, 17, I had in mind that I should be an archaeologist one day,” he said. “But … in life it was changed … but I kept archaeology as a hobby.”

And that hobby grew as he traveled all over the Holy Land and collected artifacts — relics he brings to audiences in “Discovering the World of Jesus: Ancient Treasures From the Holy Land.”

“In this exhibition, we present only items that came from a very short period of time,” Golan said. “We are talking about the early first century AD, the time of Jesus. A few items are from the 3rd, 4th, 5th century because this was the time when the first churches emerged — the cradle of Christianity.”

He believes audiences will be captivated regardless of their age or religious beliefs.

“It doesn’t matter what age you are, and what [religion] you are, and how strong [a] believer you are,” Golan said. “It’s fantastic.”

The entrepreneur also made international headlines in 2012 when he was on trial after being accused by the Israel Antiquities Authority of forging an inscription on the James ossuary, a stone relic believed to hold the bones of Jesus’ brother, James.

He was acquitted after a seven-year legal battle. The ossuary, which has been a source of contention, has an Aramaic line that reads, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” Proponents argue that the inscription pointed to evidence of Christ’s brother, James.

Ultimately, Golan was absolved of the most serious charges surrounding manufacturing elements of this inscription, among other serious charges. Some have since defended the authenticity of the artifact’s inscription, which would be the earliest reference to Jesus. Read more about the history of the matter.

Golan referred to this case while explaining he was in the “later stage” of his life – over the age of 50 — when he read the New Testament for the first time and started to understand it. Wanting to better comprehend the ossuary in his collection, he turned to the text for understanding.

Speaking about the James ossuary, he heralded the importance of the find, which is included in “Discovering the World of Jesus: Ancient Treasures From the Holy Land.” He’s hoping the collection inspires visitors to think more deeply about the past.

“You’re touching the history — almost physically,” Golan reiterated. “And that makes … a big difference compared to any other kind of exhibition. And, as I mentioned, it’s not only the artifact exhibition. It has much more than that.”

After the Atlanta run, Golan hopes to bring “Discovering the World of Jesus: Ancient Treasures From the Holy Land” to other cities across America.
Sources:faithwire

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എച്ച്1ബി വീസയ്ക്കു പുതിയ നിയമങ്ങൾ

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വാഷിങ്ടൻ : യുഎസിൽ വിദഗ്ധ തൊഴിൽ മേഖലകളിലെ വിദേശ ജോലിക്കാരുടെ നിയമനം എളുപ്പമാക്കാൻ എച്ച്1ബി വീസയ്ക്കു പുതിയ നിയമങ്ങളുമായി ബൈഡൻ ഭരണകൂടം ഉത്തരവിറക്കി. എഫ്1 വിദ്യാർഥിവീസയിലുള്ളവർക്ക് എച്ച്1ബി വീസയിലേക്കുള്ള മാറ്റവും എളുപ്പമാക്കി.

വീസാച്ചട്ടങ്ങളിൽ കടുത്ത നിലപാടുള്ള ഡോണൾഡ് ട്രംപ് അധികാരമേൽക്കാൻ ഒരു മാസം മാത്രം ശേഷിക്കെയാണു ബൈഡൻ സർക്കാരിന്റെ നടപടി. ഡിപ്പാർട്മെന്റ് ഓഫ് ഹോംലാൻഡ് സെക്യൂരിറ്റി (ഡിഎച്ച്എസ്) ആണ് പുതിയ ചട്ടങ്ങൾ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചത്. എഫ്1 വീസ, എച്ച്1 ബിയിലേക്കു മാറ്റാനുള്ള നടപടികൾ എളുപ്പമാക്കിയത് വിദ്യാർഥികളുടെ നിയമനങ്ങളിൽ അമേരിക്കൻ കമ്പനികൾ നേരിട്ടിരുന്ന തടസ്സങ്ങൾ ഒഴിവാക്കും.

നേരത്തേ എച്ച്1ബി വീസ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നവരുടെ പുതിയ അപേക്ഷയിലും നടപടികൾ വേഗത്തിലാക്കും.ഉയർന്ന വൈദഗ്ധ്യം ആവശ്യമായ തൊഴിൽ മേഖലകളിൽ ജോലി നേടാൻ ഇന്ത്യയടക്കം രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽനിന്നുള്ളവർ ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നതു പ്രധാനമായും എച്ച്1ബി വീസയാണ്. ആഗോള വിപണിക്കനുസരിച്ചു ചില പ്രത്യേക തസ്തികകളുടെ നിർവചനങ്ങളും നിയമന മാനദണ്ഡങ്ങളും പരിഷ്കരിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. സന്നദ്ധസംഘടനകൾക്കും സർക്കാർ ഗവേഷണസ്ഥാപനങ്ങൾക്കും കൂടുതൽ വിദേശനിയമനങ്ങൾ നടത്താനാകും.
Sources:globalindiannews

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German Archaeological Find Sheds New Light on Christianity’s Spread into Europe

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Researchers in Germany have translated what they believe is the oldest evidence of the spread of Christianity into Europe. In 2018, archaeologists discovered what they’re calling the “Frankfurt silver inscription,” a rolled foil engraving inside a protective amulet, in the grave of a man in an area northwest of Frankfurt, Germany.

“Researchers have used CT scans to ‘digitally unroll’ the ‘wafer thin’ foil and read the inscription within for the first time since the 3rd century AD,” reports the Daily Mail. “Incredibly, the text represents the oldest known evidence of Christianity north of the Alps, dating back to between 230 and 270 AD, scientists say.”

While similar amulets from the 3rd through 5th centuries included mixtures of Jewish, Christian, and pagan texts (presumably because the wearer wanted to avoid missing out on the afterlife in any religion they knew of), the scientists behind this discovery refer to the inscription as “purely Christian.” The text is in Latin, which also surprised researchers, and refers to Jesus as well as St. Titus, an early church leader.

The trick to discovering what was on the inscription and translating it was that the delicate foil roll had been buried for 18 centuries. The staff at the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA) in Mainz, Germany, and Frankfurt’s Goethe University spent the last six years working on it.

“The discovery of a Roman silver amulet is changing our knowledge of the early spread of Christianity: the 3.5 centimeter amulet from the 3rd century AD, discovered in the Roman city of Nida near Frankfurt, contains one of the oldest purely Christian inscriptions north of the Alps,” announced LEIZA in a press release (translated from German).

“The challenge in the analysis was that the silver sheet was rolled, but after around 1,800 years, it was of course also creased and pressed,” Ivan Calandra, an archaeologist at LEIZA, said. “Using CT, we were able to scan it at a very high resolution and create a 3D model.”

CT and X-ray technologies allowed scientists to scan the inscription and piece it together. Even though there were some gaps in the texts, scholars were able to translate them.

“I called in experts from the history of theology, among others, and we approached the text together, piece by piece, and finally deciphered it,” Prof. Markus Scholz of Goethe University said.

The amulet strongly suggests that the wearer was a devout Christian because it doesn’t include any references to Jewish theology or pagan practices. It’s also noteworthy that the inscription is in Latin because most similar inscriptions from this era were in Greek or Hebrew.

The inscription also contains a direct reference to Philippians 2:9-11, which reads, “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”.

“The find offers unique insights into the early spread of Christianity and underlines the cultural importance of Nida as a central Roman settlement in Germania in late antiquity,” LEIZA said in the press release.

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Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS

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