Gospel.com Blog

Still looking for last minute meaningful gifts for your family? Mission Network News reports on a new filtration system from International Aid that can filter 75 gallons of water a day for a family for only $32. You can read the full write up here.

The lightweight plastic HydrAidTM filter is designed to be easily transported in rough and remote terrain without risk of breaking. It is a non-electric device with no moving or replacement parts and can provide clean, safe water at the rapid rate of 47 liters per hour– meeting all of a family’s water needs, including drinking, bathing and washing clothes.
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International Aid wants to get believers actively involved in the “One filter, One family” campaign. The ministry team believes that Christians must respond actively to the Biblical commands requiring followers of Christ to offer “the least of these” a cup of water and with it, the message of hope.

Matthew 10:40-42

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes someone known to be a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes someone known to be righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is known to be my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly be rewarded.”

Nancy Leigh DeMoss has been doing a series called The King’s Dedication on her radio show Revive our Hearts that focuses on two often forgotten individuals in Christ’s life.

Simeon and Anna, who–I’ll admit–I was a bit hazy on, meet Jesus at the time of his purification. And after rereading the passage where we get to meet them, I have developed a new appreciation for their seemingly tireless devotion.

Advent is a season of contemplative expectation. We’re waiting to celebrate the birth of our savior, and this waiting was what Simeon and Anna had been doing their entire lives. So, when, for example, Simeon saw his savior it brought him such an all-consuming joy that it’s no wonder he burst into poetic prayer. From Luke 2:29-32:

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.

You can read both their accounts in Luke 2:25-40. We featured this series yesterday, but another one of our community members, Back to the Bible, have perspectives on Jesus from the points of view of Simeon and Anna that are worth your time as well.

Need help getting into the holiday spirit this Christmas? If you’re looking for a little Christmas insight, take a look at these holiday essays and articles from various Gospel.com community ministries—they’re online Christmas classics that are freshly relevant each time the holidays roll around:

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Forget the ten lords-a-leaping and five golden rings—this Christmas, listen to the twelve voices of Christmas! The Twelve Voices of Christmas is an audio drama that tells the story of the first Christmas from twelve different perspectives, from the angel Gabriel to the tyrant Herod to the Wise Men. You can listen to each story in MP3 format, or read a text transcript.

Twelve Voices was written by Woodrow Kroll of Back to the Bible. If you enjoy this Christmas drama, be sure to also tune in to his daily Back to the Bible radio program, where he and co-host Tami Weissert delve into a different Bible study topic each day of the week.

The fourth and final Gospel account is the Gospel of John, written by the “disciple that Jesus loved”. John’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry differs in some interesting ways from the other three Gospels—the author has an eye for details that the other accounts leave unmentioned. It’s thus well worth reading, even if you’re quite familiar with the other Gospels.

A few links to help you explore this unique Gospel account: (more…)

Each week, Past the Popcorn offers a thorough look at the latest round of films opening on big screens.

A lot of naughty, and not much nice—that’s what’s in store for moviegoers this week.

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In the 1930′s Helen Baugh hosted a dinner where the gospel of Christ was presented in a loving and relaxed manner to other women, after that first meeting the women asked if they could come back again the next week. The weekly meetings took off and soon Stonecroft Ministries was born. From those humble beginnings the ministry branched out to include Christian bookstores, tracts, and bible studies. Currently there are Stonecroft Ministries’ bible studies in sixty-three countries around the world!

Here are some informative pages from their web site:

An interesting set of videos about people’s perceptions of Christians from Stonecroft media.

Stonecroft daily news.

The main page for Stonecroft Ministries’ small groups. If you’re interested in joining a Stonecroft group they have a location finder here.

Main page for Stonecroft bible studies.

Stonecroft Ministries, “is a non-denominational organization that equips women to impact their communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, providing resources to enable women to connect with God, each other, and their communities.”

Luke 1:3-4 “Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

One doesn’t have to read far into Luke’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus to see that he is passionate about providing an orderly account of what he has seen and researched. He wrote this gospel for Theophilus, who was also the recipient of his other contribution to the New testament, the book of Acts. Both Luke and Acts were written sometime during the first century. The International Bible Society has a great introduction to Luke that covers the history and structure of the book. And as always, you can read the Gospel of Luke via the Bible Gateway.
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For many churches, Christmas worship services are marked by special music, and that means there are lots of opportunities for members of the congregation to contribute their musical talents to the service. If you’re helping out with worship music this Christmas—whether you’re singing in a choir, playing an instrument in a brass ensemble, or playing in a worship band—the Farsipraise ministry has some good guides to using your musical talents well. They have practical advice for musicians playing the electric guitar, bass, brass, and more. Other essays address topics like using Gregorian chant in your service and teaching new songs to the congregation, both of which are relevant this time of year. If you find these useful, see their many other articles about music and worship.

Expectation is at the heart of Advent. And as the days fly by in December that expectation begins to swell. As a child, these days between Thanksgiving and Christmas were torturous; it was as if the entire world slowed down during the month of December. For me, the advent calendars did not help—They only served to increase my anticipation of the big day.

Now, as an adult these days have a sweetness to them. There are the fond memories of Christmases past, but there is also a renewed awe of what we’re expecting. Christmas, after all, is all about the savior of the world coming to reside among us, and it’s an awesome thought. If we haven’t done so already, we should set aside time to reflect on how this event has changed our lives and how we can then bring that excitement to others.
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