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Jonathan Petersen
November 8, 2019

Latest Bible Translation Figures Show Progress, but More Work Is Needed

The Bible has now been translated into 15 more languages worldwide since 2018. According to Wycliffe Bible Translators (@wycliffeuk), as of October 2019, 698 languages have the complete Bible (up from 683 in 2018), and 1,548 languages have a complete New Testament (up from 1,534). A further 1,138 have translated portions of the Bible (up from 1,133). But still more than 250 million people around the world are totally without Scripture in their language.

[Read the Bible in multiple languages on Bible Gateway]

Active translation or preparatory work is progressing in 2,617 languages in 161 countries. Wycliffe and its partner organization SIL are involved in about three-quarters of this work.

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Jonathan Petersen
November 7, 2019

Gospel Hope for the Discouraged Soul: An Interview with Jason Meyer

Jason Meyer, author of Don't Lose Heart: Gospel Hope for the Discouraged SoulIn a world surrounded by 24-hour news and reminders on social media of tragedy and heartache, it’s easy to fall into the abyss of discouragement and anxiety. Even Jesus followers struggle to hold on to hope. What is the hopeful guidance from God’s Word for times when you feel overwhelmed, defeated, and worthless? How can the Bible help you conquer despair when the past paralyzes, today disappoints, and the future is frightening?

Bible Gateway interviewed Jason Meyer (@WePreachChrist) about his book, Don’t Lose Heart: Gospel Hope for the Discouraged Soul (Baker Books, 2019).

What do you mean “discouragement is a liar”?

Buy your copy of Don't Lose Heart in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

Jason Meyer: Discouragement is a sophisticated lie because it comes clothed in a half-truth. Discouragement gets only half of reality right. It reminds us of all that is against us. And that is true. A fallen world is full of real reasons to lose heart. The Bible recognizes this reality. It was natural for Elisha’s servant to lose heart when he saw that the Syrian army was surrounding them. But Elisha prayed that his servant would see the full truth, not the half-truth. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). We lose heart when we believe the lie that all that is against us is greater than the one who is for us. We lose heart when we lose sight of all we have in Christ. There are real reasons to lose heart, but the reasons to take heart are always greater.

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Mel Lawrenz
November 6, 2019

How to Live the Bible — Truth in Person

howtostudythebible

This is the eightieth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.

See Mel Lawrenz’s new book, Christmas Joy for Kids: A Devotional.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “I am the truth.”

It is hard to overstate how bold this claim is. It is bold to say, “I know the truth.” In these days it is even bold to say “I believe there is truth.” But when Jesus said: “I am the truth” he was raising the issue to a whole new level. Remember, when Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” it was on the evening of that dividing line between his life and his death. Just hours later, after Jesus’ arrest, he would stand before Pontius Pilate and say “for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” And then came the chilling question of Pontius Pilate: “what is truth?”

The Last Supper illustrating Jesus' teaching

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Jonathan Petersen
November 5, 2019

Bible Connection Podcast: The Blueprint

Go to the Bible Connection Podcast index page

Watch and hear the Bible Connection Podcast about The Blueprint

Bible Gateway presents the Bible Connection Podcast, where we talk about the Bible and how it connects to every facet of life.

Our second episode of the Bible Connection Podcast focuses on how the Harris Creek Baptist Church uses the Bible as a blueprint given by a loving God to a culture hungry for answers and hope.

Go to the page to view this podcast episode

Go to the Bible Connection podcast episode page for The Blueprint.

Learn more about the Bible by becoming a member of Bible Gateway Plus. Try it right now!

Guest Post
November 5, 2019

Free Not to Be God

Kasey Van NormanBy Kasey Van Norman

God really did command Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and warn them that to do so would bring death. But what Eve seemed to forget in her conversation with the serpent was what else God really said. “You are free. Free to eat anything and everything else. Free to create, work, have sex. Free to rest in the life-sustaining peace that because I am God, you don’t have to be.” (See Gen. 2:15–17.)

I think this is why God put the tree in the middle of the garden in the first place, there to remind us we are not meant to know everything, not designed to rule the universe or single-handedly give meaning to the world around us. We are not capable of rescuing, healing, or saving people. Instead, we have been given miles and miles of provision with one, loving promise—we are free not to be God.

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Jonathan Petersen
November 5, 2019

How an Atheist Turned to Jesus Despite the Church: An Interview with Mary Jo Sharp

Mary Jo SharpCritics ask, “Why would anyone become a Christian when there’s so much hypocrisy in the church?” With de-conversion stories being reported, why is it that the church inadvertently produces atheists despite its life-giving message? Does atheism explain the human experience better than Christianity? How can the truth of Christianity matter when the behaviors of some Christians are reprehensible?

Bible Gateway interviewed Mary Jo Sharp (@MaryJoSharp), author of Why I Still Believe: A Former Atheist’s Reckoning with the Bad Reputation Christians Give a Good God (Zondervan, 2019).

Buy your copy of Why I Still Believe in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

Describe why you were an atheist as a young woman.

Mary Jo Sharp: I didn’t grow up in the church and didn’t know much about Christianity other than what I saw on TV and in the movies. The societal environment of my childhood years also lacked a cultural Christianity: Oregon has rated among the top states for least religious participation in America. So, I thought non-religious people were the standard or the normative people and that religious people were somewhat of the fringe of society.

I wouldn’t have called myself an atheist growing up because I didn’t encounter that term until later on when I encountered Christianity. I just didn’t believe in God, nor did I see why I needed to do so.

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Jonathan Petersen
November 4, 2019

The Unlikely Story of Forgiveness After the Oklahoma City Bombing

Buy your copy of Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers' Road to Reconciliation after the Oklahoma City Bombing in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City April 19, 1995, was the deadliest attack of domestic terrorism in US history, killing at least 168 people and injuring more than 680 others. The bomb blast destroyed or damaged 324 other buildings within a 16-block radius, shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings, and destroyed or burned 86 cars, causing an estimated $652 million worth of damage.

Releasing April 14, 2020—five days before the 25th anniversary of the bombing—will be the book Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers’ Road to Reconciliation after the Oklahoma City Bombing (Zondervan, 2020). It’s the riveting true story of two fathers—one whose daughter was killed in the bombing, and the other the father of her killer, Timothy McVeigh—who appeared destined to be enemies, but who instead formed an unexpected bond in the wake of terrorism and tragedy.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Our Deeply Rooted Faith Sustains Us]

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

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Guest Post
November 4, 2019

4 Tips for Engaging with the Bible Daily

Brian Hardin

By Brian Hardin

I have to admit up front that I’m not much of a “tips and tricks” guy—especially when it comes to spirituality. This isn’t because I’m not looking for a life hack like everyone else. We all seem to be looking for nuggets of wisdom that will further our experiences, but the Bible is far more comprehensive than simply giving us a bullet list of ways to be blessed. That being said, there are rhythms to life, and finding the sweet spot is healthy and desirable.

[Learn more about—and sign up to receive—Brian Hardin’s free email reading plan on Bible Gateway: The Daily Audio Bible]

Buy your copy of The One Year Adventure with the God of Your Story in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned from reading the Bible out loud on the Daily Audio Bible every single day for the past 14 years.

[Select the right Bible reading plan for you from Bible Gateway]

But I warn you, these tips won’t show you how you can finally read the Bible without putting the work in. Rather, these are the postures, or the space you’ll need to be in, to allow the Bible to speak as a part of your daily rhythm.

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Jonathan Petersen
November 3, 2019

Bible News Roundup – Week of November 3, 2019

Read this week’s Bible Gateway Weekly Brief newsletter
⇨ Bible Gateway Weekly Brief
⇨ Newsletter signupSee the Bible News Roundup archive on Bible Gateway
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Support Bible Gateway—Browse the Bible Gateway Store
⇨ BibleGatewayStore.com
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NET Bible Enters New Phase of Print Publication
⇨ DTS Voice
⇨ Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, NET Bible Available in Full-Notes Print Editions
▼

Bill to Ensure Schools Offer Bible Classes Advances in Florida
⇨ CBN News
▼

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Jonathan Petersen
October 31, 2019

Pray for the Persecuted Church

Buy your copy of Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day

[See books in the Bible Gateway Store on the subject of Christian persecution]

Around the world, Christians will observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (#IDOP) on November 3 & 10, 2019. The term “persecuted Christians” refers to any person who is harassed or attacked simply because they identify as being a Christian. Examples of persecution faced by Christians include, but is not limited to, beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, and discrimination in education and employment.

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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.