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Andy Rau
June 12, 2013

Ann Spangler: Learning to Listen to God

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we’re talking to some of today’s leading Christian writers and thinkers to find out about the state of Bible engagement in 2013. Last week, Lee Strobel shared the last verse he read as an atheist. This week, writer Ann Spangler shares the Bible verse that has most been on her mind so far this year.

We asked Ann “What Bible verse is on your mind in 2013?” Here’s how she answered:

The verse Ann mentions is Isaiah 55:3:

Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live… — Isaiah 55:3

Can you relate to Ann’s desire to simply listen to God? Think about the ways you interact with God—through your prayers, thoughts, and worship. How much of that time is spent talking to God? How much time do you spend listening to Him? What do you think might happen if you were to talk less and listen more?

Next week, we’ll ask author Annie Downs this same question—”What Bible verse is on your mind in 2013?”—and share her answer. In the meantime, we hope you’ll give some that to that question yourself. Is there a piece of Scripture that’s guided you, or weighed on your heart, so far this year?

Ann Spangler is the author and editor of many devotional books, including Praying the Names of God and The Names of God Bible. You can learn more about Ann at her website.

Andy Rau
June 7, 2013

What Bible Verse Did You Need to Hear?

In the video clip we posted yesterday, Lee Strobel talked about what he calls “the last Bible verse he read as an atheist”—that is, the Bible verse that stopped him in his tracks and overcame the last spiritual obstacle standing between him and belief in Jesus Christ.

(If you haven’t watched the video, take a minute to go check it out. It’s short.)

What’s interesting to me is that this Bible verse, the one that was so critical to his life and spiritual journey, isn’t actually a terribly well-known verse. It isn’t obscure, but it’s not one you hear quoted or read very often. It didn’t make last year’s list of the top ten most-read verses. It did make the top 100, but it’s way down there at #77.

If you asked a group of Christians to list out what they consider the most powerful or most fundamental verses in the Bible, I’m guessing you’d get a fairly predictable list. John 3:16… Jeremiah 29:11… Romans 8:28… the “famous” verses.

Those are, indeed, beautiful parts of the Bible. But Lee’s testimony reminds me of the very personal nature of the God’s Word. None of us reads the Bible in exactly the same way, because each of us is in a spiritually different place when we pick up our Bible (or smartphone) to read. The Bible is full of promises, messages, and stories that speak uniquely to you. Another Bible reader might skim right over a verse that profoundly affects you, and vice versa. And as your Christian walk progresses and you travel through the ups and downs of life, Bible verses you once skimmed over will leap out at the right time with a fresh and powerful meaning when you need to hear them.

What Lee precisely needed to hear as a young atheist wasn’t one of the “famous” verses. It was John 1:12. And that’s the verse God used to speak to him.

What about you? What Bible verse or verses profoundly changed your life? Were they well-known, beloved verses like John 3:16? Or were they lesser-known or obscure verses that would never make the “top 100 most-read” list? What verse or passage did you need to hear?

We’re discussing this over on Facebook; stop by and share your story!

Andy Rau
June 6, 2013

Lee Strobel: The Last Bible Verse I Read as an Atheist

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we talked to some of today’s leading Christian writers and thinkers to find out about the state of Bible engagement in 2013. One of the first people we turned to was Lee Strobel, the author of The Case for Christ and countless other books exploring and defending the Bible.

We asked Lee a simple question: What Bible verse is on your mind in 2013? Watch the video below for his answer.

The verse Lee mentions is John 1:12:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…. — John 1:12 (NIV)

Lee is speaking specifically as a former atheist who came to that verse and was profoundly challenged and changed by it. Do you have a similar experience to share? What verse is on your mind today, this week, this year?

Stay tuned as we talk to more Christian writers and pastors about this and other questions throughout our 20th anniversary celebration!

Jonathan Petersen
June 6, 2013

Bible Gateway Launches “The Plan,” a New Devotional Tracking the Promises of the Bible

NEWS RELEASE
News Release Archive | Newsroom

It’s Focus is on Prophecy with Color-Coded Text

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 6, 2013)—BibleGateway.com has partnered with The Plan BibleTM to release a new devotional that highlights the many promises and prophecies made—and fulfilled—throughout the Bible. With its specific focus on prophecy and its use of color-coded text to distinguish different Biblical promises, The Plan devotional is unique among Bible Gateway’s many devotional offerings.

The Plan carefully notes each prophecy in the Bible and whether it has already been fulfilled, is being fulfilled today, or will be fulfilled in the future; no other devotional so thoroughly tracks the Bible’s promises. The Plan is an inspiring resource for anyone who’s ever wondered if the Bible is trustworthy and believable. The Plan devotional is available for free both online at BibleGateway.com and as a weekly email. Visitors can read or sign up for The Plan devotional at http://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/the-plan.

___________________________________________________________________________________

About Bible Gateway
BibleGateway.com, a member of the HarperCollins Christian Publishing family, seeks to encourage Bible reading and Scriptural understanding among Bible readers everywhere. To that end, Bible Gateway makes Scripture available in more than 70 languages and 160 different translations, and maintains a large library of free Bible study tools and resources including a mobile app, audio Bibles, and email devotions like The Plan. Bible Gateway has grown to serve more than 14 million unique visitors per month and is currently celebrating its 20th year online.

About The Plan BibleTM
The Plan BibleTM developed The Plan Devotional, which is derived from The Plan, the first chronology of God’s Word from beginning to end. This unique work is a journey through time, a complete Bible rearranged verse-by-verse beginning with God’s creation of the earth and ending with a compilation of over 2,500 verses of prophecy still yet to be fulfilled. The Plan uses special color-coding to categorize prophecies in the Bible, noting when they first appear and the status of their fulfillment (in the past, in the present day, or in the future). It contains over 800 distinct threads of Biblical promises, clearly illustrating the reliability of God and His Word.

Links:
Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/
Read or sign up to receive The Plan devotional: http://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/the-plan/
Bible Gateway’s devotional library: http://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/

Andy Rau
June 5, 2013

Celebrating 20 Years of Bible Gateway!

What did your life look like twenty years ago, in 1993? That was the year we all first gawked at the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and watched agents Mulder and Scully investigate aliens in The X-Files. Computing giant Intel was showing off its brand-new Pentium processor. If you were particularly tech-savvy, you might have been chatting with people around the world on Usenet, or maybe even browsing one of the several hundred new-fangled “web pages” that were starting to catch public notice.

But 1993 was also the year that a college student named Nick Hengeveld completed a little school project for a computer science class: Bible Gateway.

That makes 2013 Bible Gateway’s 20th anniversary!

Twenty years ago, Bible Gateway lived as a simple tool for searching a few public domain Bibles. Nobody involved in Bible Gateway’s early years could ever have imagined that by God’s grace, Nick Hengeveld’s “little school project” would one day reach millions and millions of people all around the world in dozens of languages. Nor would anyone have guessed that Bible Gateway would grow to feature hundreds of Bibles, audio Scriptures, devotions, and more.

In the months to come, we’ll be celebrating Bible Gateway’s history, and looking ahead to its future. Here’s what you can expect to see in the months to come:

A new BibleGateway.com. Building on everything we’ve learned about how people use Bible Gateway, we’ll launch a redesigned website to make it easier to use. Bible Gateway fans will be excited to hear that it will introduce a number of features they’ve been asking for: user accounts, note-taking and other study tools, a cleaner interface, and more. We’ll share more details about the new website as its launch approaches.

Insight from leading Christian thinkers. We talked to some of the sharpest Christian writers and thinkers about the state of Bible engagement in 2013, and will share those videos here at Bible Gateway.

Continued improvements to the Bible Gateway mobile app. We know that for many of you, your mobile device is one of the primary ways you read and interact with God’s Word. We’re continuing to add new features and improvements to our mobile app. In particular, we think you’ll be thrilled with how the mobile app will interact with the new BibleGateway.com.

Retrospectives on Bible Gateway’s history. Bible Gateway was present in the earliest days of the “world wide web,” and has grown along with the internet in general. We’ll share articles and interviews that explore the ways Bible Gateway has evolved over the years.

Goodies! It wouldn’t be a birthday celebration without a few prizes and giveaways, would it? Watch our blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed for chances to grab some birthday loot courtesy of Bible Gateway.

We are continually humbled and amazed at the ways that God has used Bible Gateway to share his Word with the world. We’re grateful to the partners (publishers, individuals, and countless ministries in between) that have worked with us through the years to make Bible Gateway what it is. And we’re immensely grateful for each and every person who’s ever used our site or mobile app to look up a Bible verse, find a moment of inspiration, settle a nagging theological question, or kickstart a Bible reading habit. So join us in the months to come as we celebrate what God is doing through Bible Gateway and its users!

Andy Rau
May 30, 2013

Five Bible Passages to Read When You’re Doubting God

When you’re experiencing doubt—doubt that God exists, or that He keeps His promises—where in the Bible can you turn for reassurance?

A while back, we asked Bible Gateway visitors to share the Bible verses they turn to when they struggle with doubt. Here are the top five Bible passages they recommended:

1. Jeremiah 29:11-13: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'”

2. Psalm 91: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust….'” (read the rest)

3. Psalm 27:13-14: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

4. Isaiah 54:16-17: “‘See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the LORD.”

5. Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”

Almost all of the verses mentioned are ones that acknowledge setbacks and trials, but which quietly reaffirm the authority and trustworthiness of God.

Remove banner ads and expand your Bible reading experience using our valuable library of more than 40 top resources by becoming a member of Bible Gateway Plus. Try it free for 30 days!

Andy Rau
May 27, 2013

Monuments and Memorial Day: Remembering Who We Are

Flags mark the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery.

Today, thousands of American flags dot Arlington National Cemetery—one for each grave marker. Red, white and blue dominate the green landscape.

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who’ve died serving in the U.S. military. Civil War veteran General John A. Logan called in 1868 for Americans to decorate the graves of those who fell during the “War Between the States;” the holiday has grown in scope since then and now commemorates the fallen from each of America’s wars.

Though Memorial Day is an American holiday, nations across the world have their own traditions for remembering the sacrifices of their soldiers. There’s something uniquely powerful about communal remembrance—gathering together as a family or nation to reflect on significant people and events of the past. It’s no surprise that memorial celebrations—military and otherwise—are common to many cultures throughout history, including the people of the Bible.

A famous example of a memorial celebration in the Bible can be found in Joshua 4:2-9. God commands the Israelite leader Joshua to set up a memorial to mark the event of the Ark of the Covenant crossing the Jordan River, to remind future generations of what had happened there:

“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” — Joshua 4:2-9 (NIV)

In this case, God wanted the Israelites to remember his deliverance. The stone memorial served as a physical reminder of a shaping event in their history. Sometimes the memorial took the form not of a physical monument, but a shared activity, as in the case of the Israelite’s commemoration of their escape from Egypt.

Christians observe their own memorial celebrations, most notably in the “breaking of bread” that recalls Christ’s sacrifice—a ceremony that we observe with frequency:

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” — Luke 22 (ESV)

Reminders, bitter or sweet, are important to our culture and our history. They remind us where we’ve come from, and whose work got us to where we are. The philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes,” and we see this pattern throughout the Bible. Time and time again, when the Israelites “forgot” the Lord, they stumbled and were punished. See Psalm 106:10-14 for an example:

He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test. — Psalm 106:10-14 (NIV)

It’s important that we remember who we are and where we’ve come from. Americans make a point of remembering on Memorial Day. And as Christians, every day is a good day to remember, reflect on, and give thanks for what the Lord has done for us.

May 24, 2013

Sign Up for Bible Gateway’s Weekly Bookperk Deals

BookperkDid you know that Bible Gateway has an exclusive deal-of-the-week program that sends you discounts on your favorite Bibles and Christian resources? It’s called the Bible Gateway Bookperk, and you can sign up to have each week’s deals emailed straight to you.

This week’s special offers are fairly representative of the kinds of deals in the Bookperk program. The first is a study guide and DVD companion to Bill Hybel’s classic work on prayer, Too Busy Not to Pray, for 37% off. The second is the NKJV Study Bible—perfect for pastors, students, and teachers—available for a whopping 59% off!

And these are just the current offers—each week, we send out two new deals. They range from Bibles to classic Christian books to fiction, and sometimes feature special “perks” like signed copies or bundled deals. We make a point of picking out deals we think Bible Gateway’s visitors will find most inspiring and useful, either for themselves or as gifts for others.

So if you haven’t signed up already, take a look at this week’s offers, and sign up to receive our weekly Bookperk deals via email!

Andy Rau
May 21, 2013

Pray for the Oklahoma Tornado Victims

It’s hard to focus on regular daily tasks when your news feeds and social media hangouts are filled with terrible news like today’s: “deadly tornado devastates Oklahoma town.”

Our hearts go out to everyone affected—especially to families who lost precious children today. We hope you’ll join us in praying for this community—the victims, the rescue workers, and their families—in the days and weeks to come. Long after the headlines fade, the people of Oklahoma will need your prayers as they rebuild ravaged buildings and lives.

Although God’s Word is a powerful source of comfort at times like this, no Scripture verse or passage can magically erase the pain of grief and loss. But the Bible does teach us two important things about nature. First, that God’s authority extends even over the forces of nature, including storms and weather. (Mel Lawrenz recently shared some insight about God and storms.) Second, that while it remains under God’s control, the natural world restlessly awaits the day that God’s perfect kingdom will be realized.

And we too await that day—when terror and death, both man-made and nature-inflicted, will come to an end. In the meantime, there is work to be done: we can direct our prayers, talents, and resources toward helping the victims of tragedy, both in our home countries and around the world. And keep looking to the horizon:

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! — Revelation 22:20

Andy Rau
May 20, 2013

The Names of God Bible Now Available on Bible Gateway

Do you know the names of God?

719319_w185Most English translations of the Bible refer to the Creator with just a handful of well-known terms: God, Lord, and LORD. But behind these titles is a wide range of colorful and evocative Hebrew and Aramaic names for God—names like Yahweh, El Shadday, El Elyon, and Adonay.

While the titles “God” and “Lord” are perfectly acceptable translations, they have the effect of obscuring the variety of the original titles and names used to describe God. And so The Names of God Bible, the newest addition to our online library, restores thousands of names and titles to their Hebrew equivalent. The result is a unique reading experience in which you’ll see how the authors of Scripture referred to the living God who inspired and rescued them.

Here are a few examples of well-known Bible passages as translated in The Names of God Bible:

In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth.

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Ruach Elohim was hovering over the water. — Genesis 1:1-2

Listen, Israel: Yahweh is our Elohim. Yahweh is the only God. Love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. — Deuteronomy 6:4-9

But Moses said to Elohim, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

Elohim answered, “I will be with you. And this will be the proof that I sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship Elohim on this mountain.”

Then Moses replied to Elohim, “Suppose I go to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The Elohim of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?”

Elohim answered Moses, “Ehyeh Who Ehyeh. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: ‘Ehyeh has sent me to you.'”

Again Elohim said to Moses, “This is what you must say to the people of Israel: Yahweh Elohim of your ancestors, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is my title throughout every generation.” — Exodus 3:11-15

O Yahweh, our Adonay, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! — Psalm 8:1

It’s interesting how a simple change in name or title can make even very familiar passages seem fresh. Particularly when combined with a good Bible commentary, you’ll find that there is much to be learned in the nuances of God’s names and titles. We hope you find The Names of God Bible to be an inspiring addition to your Bible reading, and we’re grateful to Baker Publishing Group for making it available on Bible Gateway.

You can read more about The Names of God Bible or start reading. Print copies (which include commentary and many additional features by author Ann Spangler) are available at the Bible Gateway store.

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    The Bible Gateway Blog features the latest news, announcements, and reflections from Bible Gateway. We hope what you find here will add to your understanding of and appreciation for the Bible.