As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“They are now discovering what has always been true, that the Western ideas of human rights, political equality, and science and art are products of Christianity. These things do not occur in most civilizations, and there is no reason to expect that they will endure in the West if Christianity fades.” - Breakpoint
I attended, had a speaking role or exhibited at 11 major ministry conferences for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in 2024. In this article, I’d like to summarize my experiences at these events and share some general reflections for anyone who may benefit from them. I have previously written reports about several of these meetings individually.
The holidays are over once again. And, for all that I did to try to hold on to it, the last week of the year has escaped me, as well.
I love the holidays, and I’ve written much about them in the past. I’ve especially shared my thoughts in previous columns about the importance of using the closing days of the year to plan for the months ahead. I have also described my intention to spend the first eight months of the year, in essence, preparing for the last four.
“From ancient Israelite DNA to a moat around Jerusalem, these are the discoveries that made scholars of the biblical world say ‘wow’ this year.” - CToday
There are a lot of them. A sampling…
“FCA uses a Faith Response Tool, a texting system that allows FCA staff, coaches and athletes to share these significant, life-changing decisions” - CPost
“Online church attendees read the Bible more than onsite worshipers. Nonbelievers outpace Christians in valuing several pro-social Bible-based behaviors. And Black Americans are more spiritually vibrant than whites and Hispanics.” - BPNews
These are a few thoughts on the books I read last year. I may have missed one or two but this list is pretty complete. Many of the works were read as I researched Volume Two of The Words of the Covenant. Not to knock them but rarely now am I helped by books that I already agree with. I did not include two books that I am more than halfway through: Paul: A New Covenant Jew by Pitre, Barber & Kincaid, and Peter Stuhlmacher’s Biblical Theology of the New Testament.
“Nothing could sum up this year quite like these unbelievable but totally real stories.” - Relevant
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